A Murderer's Brother
by RedHeadedFlame
Summary: The murder of Madge Undersee shocks a city. For prosecutor, Katniss Everdeen, it is the biggest case of her young career. At the same time she finds herself falling for the handsome blond stranger who has just moved in upstairs. But a shocking connection makes Katniss question all she believed about the justice system.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's good to be back on Mondays! I've missed posting these last few weeks. This latest adventure will have a bit of a murder mystery vibe alongside all the usual Everlark fluff/angst. Let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of its characters.**

* * *

 _Chapter 1_

"Would the jury please announce their verdict to the courtroom," Judge Lyme states.

The lead juror stands up and I hold my breath. Eight months of hard work comes down to this. My client jiggles her foot up and down from beside me and throws a nervous glance to the man sitting on the other side of the courtroom. The juror finds the judge's stare and speaks confidently when he opens his mouth.

"Guilty," the juror states.

The defendant slumps his head into his hands and begins uttering a string of curse words. But my colleague, Thom, whoops and turns to hug our stunned looking client. She doesn't respond for a moment but I flash her a smile and she soon comes to her senses and lets herself smile also. Once again I've helped justice succeed.

"Owen Cray, you have been found guilty of rape and will return to your cell while you wait for sentencing. Court dismissed," Judge Lyme says.

The tall and fierce looking judge gets up to leave. Just before she exits the door, she catches my eye and flashes me a smile. My grin grows wider.

Cray gets carted out in handcuffs, cursing and proclaiming his innocence. He calls my client the worst names imaginable. I hate it when they kick up a fuss. It's better to go quietly than lose the last remains of their dignity.

But I don't focus on the old creep for long. Bonnie, the client, turns to wrap her arms around me.

"Thank you for all your help, Katniss. He wouldn't be in jail if it wasn't for you," she says.

"You were the one brave enough to speak up. He can't hurt anyone else because of you," I reply with a smile.

"Maybe now I'll be able to get on with my life," she says.

I give her arm a reassuring squeeze and Bonnie gives me a forced smile. The worst part of this job is seeing the effects on the victims. Bonnie was only eighteen when she started working at the textile factory Owen Cray owned. With her blonde hair and long lashes she was an instant target for the seedy owner. He cornered her in a store cupboard a few months later and forced himself on her. After she came forward a dozen other girls also stepped up to testify. It has just been proved that Cray took advantage of young girls for the last fifteen years.

When we first met Bonnie at the district attorney's office she was afraid of any kind of human touch. The fact she allowed both Thom and I to hug her shows how far she's come already. But there will be demons she will battle for the rest of her life. I worked my hardest these last few months to make sure at least one of those demons is behind bars.

Bonnie thanks both Thom and I one more time before heading into the crowd and being enveloped by her family. Her mother's tears stream down her face.

Thom turns to me with a triumphant smile and raises his hand for a high five.

"Another one safely behind bars. It is days like this that make me feel like a superhero," he declares.

I laugh as I gather up our papers and shove them in a bag. Thom joined the district attorney's office four years before I did. For the last five years we have often worked on prosecution cases together and are more successful than we are not. His laidback attitude is the perfect complement to my often obsessive eye for detail.

We finish packing up our things and walk out the courtroom so we can head back to the office. Thom pops a bit of chewing gum in his mouth and offers me some, but I decline.

"Thank God it's Friday. We can celebrate this win in style," he says.

"By celebrating, you mean spending the whole weekend in bed with Delly," I say with a sly smile.

Thom flashes me a boyish grin as he shrugs his shoulders.

"What can I say? The girl is talented. You wouldn't want to leave a bed with her in it either," he replies.

"She's not really my type but you enjoy your weekend," I say.

Delly is the voluptuous blonde who answers the phones in the office. All the playful flirting worked and Thom has been head over heels in love with her for the last six months. Thom sometimes forgets I am a girl though and often chats to me like we're in a male locker room. He flashes me another smile as we walk out the building. I pull my coat round me tighter as we are met by the brisk winter air.

"I certainly will. Thinking of heading up to her parents' log cabin this weekend. There's nothing better than sex in front of the fireplace. How about you? You got anyone to celebrate with this weekend?" he asks.

"Just Prim," I reply.

Thom sighs as he rubs his hands together to keep warm.

"When was the last time you got any? You never share any dirty secrets at work," Thom whines.

"I had sex last month but, unlike you, I don't feel the need to broadcast it to the whole office. I do casual relationships and don't see the point about telling you about a guy I'm not going to see after a couple of months," I reply.

"Fair enough. But let me know if you ever want a date. Delly is dying to set you up," Thom says.

I sigh and shake my head him. He smiles at me before we reach his car and duck inside.

* * *

We get pats on the backs at the office and lots of congratulations for putting Cray away. Thom immediately finds Delly and the two of them sneak off to find some private corner to celebrate in. I go through to my office and begin unpacking the papers in my bag. I am already thinking about my next case, a bar assault, when there is a knock on the door. I look up to find Alma Coin standing in my doorway.

"Can I come in?" she asks.

Alma has been head of Panem's DA office for the last thirteen years. She's in her mid-fifties now and wears her hair in a sharp grey bob. She took me under her wing when I first came here, straight out of law school, and taught me the majority of what I now know. She has a formidable reputation. Absolutely ruthless in the courtroom and more convictions than anyone in the office.

"Of course," I say, shuffling some papers on my desk. "Do you want a seat?"

Coin smiles at me and shakes her head. She steps into the room and closes the door behind her.

"I just wanted to say congratulations on your successful conviction. I witnessed your closing statement yesterday and was very impressed. It was very passionate and I am in no doubt it helped get the guilty verdict," she says.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. I've often looked to you for inspiration," I say.

"You are very flattering. You have come along way since we hired you. You are only thirty years old but I rate you as one of the best DAs in the office," Coin replies.

"I wouldn't say that," I say.

"Don't be modest. Modesty will get you nowhere. I can see you are ambitious. You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age," she says.

"I want to be the best. I don't like losing," I reply.

Coin smiles and nods her head. She takes a few steps forward and picks up the picture of Prim and I on my desk. She looks at it for a moment before looking back at me.

"I like what I'm seeing, Katniss. The next big case I get, I'd like you to work with me," she says.

I fight hard to not show too much excitement. But my heart jumps for joy and I let a smile cross my face.

"It would be an honour," I reply.

Coin smiles at me again and puts the picture back on my desk.

"I look forward to it. Enjoy your weekend," she says.

I nod my head and Coin then sweeps out my office. The door barely closes before I grab my phone and call Prim.

* * *

I push into the apartment I share with my sister carrying bags of Chinese food. I dump everything on the kitchen table and begin unpacking cardboard cartoons of food.

"Prim! I got dinner!" I call.

I hear shuffling and bumping in her bedroom and moments later she appears in the kitchen with her boyfriend, Thresh, following closely behind. They are complete opposites to look out. Prim's blonde hair and blue eyes are a complete contrast to Thresh's dark skin and hair. His bulking frame almost dwarfs Prim's petite one and yet the two of them always look perfect together.

Prim smiles brightly when she sees me and comes over to help me dish up the Chinese.

"Yum. Thank God you got some food. I got a little distracted this afternoon and forgot to get groceries," she says.

"So I see," I reply, reaching out to flick the buttons on her shirt. "Your buttons are done up wrong, Prim."

Prim looks down and blushes when she sees her buttons mismatched. Her hands move quickly to fix the mistake and Thresh and I both laugh.

"Don't worry, babe. Katniss has seen a lot worse," Thresh says.

Prim grows an even deeper shade of crimson and I try to forget about the time I walked in on her and Thresh going at it on the kitchen table. There are some things you don't need to see your baby sister doing.

Prim finishes fixing her blouse and takes the seat next to Thresh. He laughs again but pulls her chair closer to him so he can place a kiss on her temple.

"Just think," he says. "You'll be able to tease Katniss just as much when she gets a boyfriend."

Prim snorts and shakes her head.

"That's not happening anytime soon," she says. There is a short pause as I take out all the plates for dinner. "Can we please change the subject? We are supposed to be celebrating Katniss' conviction."

Thresh and I share a grin but both of us love Prim and do as she asks.

"It's the biggest case I've had so far. And that bastard deserved everything he got. I'm just mad that it took fifteen years for someone to be brave enough to speak up. Hearing all those girls' stories was not easy," I reply.

Prim nods her head as she begins piling her plate with rice.

"We had a rape victim on the maternity ward at the hospital a couple of months ago. I thought it was amazing how resilient she had been to love her baby so much," Prim replies.

I nod my head in agreement and Thresh finishes chewing on his bit of meat.

"Well, this is cheery Friday night conversation. I'm glad I came over," Thresh says.

Prim and I both laugh.

"Sorry. I know it's the weekend. I'll try not to bring work into it," I say. "What did you do on your day off, Prim? I mean before Thresh came round."

Prim flicks a bit of rice at me and he tries to bite back a laugh.

"I went to spin class this morning and met Rue for lunch," she replies. "Oh, and then I met the new guy that's moved upstairs."

"Let me guess," I say. "You invited him in for coffee."

Prim is a much bigger people person than I am. It's one of the reasons she gets on so well at the hospital. She can chat to anyone about anything and immediately puts them at ease. I would prefer to have nothing to do with our neighbours but Prim sees things differently.

"He had tea, actually. He didn't have any tea bags so I gave him some," she replies.

"And I bet you know his whole life story now," Thresh teases.

Prim sighs and shakes her head at her boyfriend.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with being friendly," Prim says. "And he seems really nice. He's an architect who's renting the place upstairs while he builds his new house. Not bad on the eye either. All blond and blue eyed. Just your type, Katniss."

"Sounds more like Thresh's type," I say, tipping my head at her boyfriend. Thresh raises his eyebrows at me. "And I don't have a type. And if I did it certainly wouldn't be blond. Gale was my longest relationship and he has dark hair," I point out.

Prim rolls her eyes.

"Oh come on, Katniss. Apart from Gale every other guy you've lusted over has been blond. Remember Cato? David Gloss? I'm telling you this new guy is your type. If I was into white chocolate even I might ask him out," she replies.

"I don't have anything to worry about here, do I?" Thresh asks.

Prim turns to him and gives him a smile. She reaches across to brush her hand against his cheek and leans in closer to him.

"Nothing to worry about, babe. I've got everything I could ever want," she replies.

Thresh smiles before my sister leans in to place a lingering kiss on his lips. Thresh then tugs Prim towards him so that she ends up in his lap as they continue to kiss leisurely.

I sigh as I shake my head.

"You guys have been dating for almost a year. Isn't the honeymoon phase supposed to be over?" I say.

Prim releases her lips from Thresh's with a pop and turns to me with a smile.

"When you find the one, you'll understand," she replies.

I shake my head again before shovelling an eggroll in my mouth. When did my baby sister start being old enough to give me relationship advice?

* * *

I rise early the next day to go for a run in the park. I pass a groggy Prim in the kitchen as she prepares for her twelve-hour shift at the hospital. We stayed up late last night, drinking wine and playing stupid card games, and she's feeling the effects as a result. I on the other hand feel quite fresh and hate wasting hours in bed. There will be hardly anyone about at this time in the morning and I enjoy the peace and serenity of the run.

There is a slight frost glistening on the ground but not enough to halt my run for the day. I pull on my thermal sportswear and plug in my headphones before setting a brisk pace along the dark streets.

It doesn't take long for me to the reach the large park near our apartment and the sun is just beginning to rise when I enter. I stick to my familiar route as I begin to jog round and pass only the occasional early morning runner or dog walker. The deep bass of the song pounding in my ears motivates me to keep going even as the cold nips and bites at my ears. It doesn't take long for my brain to empty of all thoughts and for my body to set into a steady rhythm.

I turn the corner to begin the slight incline of the hill and some other runner cuts in front of me and begins powering up the hill. He wears all the latest high tech running gear, including a pair of tight fitting running leggings, something I hate seeing men wear. I've encountered this type of runner before. Normally a privately educated yuppie that runs in marathons for the status. Pretentious idiots most of them.

I'm a little annoyed and see this runner as a challenge. I put my head down and pump my legs faster to try and keep him in sight. He slows slightly when he gets to the top but not slow enough for me to catch up with him. By the time I've reached the top he is about fifteen paces in front of me. Much to my annoyance he seems to be running the same route as me. I run to find some peace. I don't like this guy for intruding in my space.

I fix my eyes on his broad back and hope that the burn of my stare will force him to go off in another direction. However, after five minutes staring at his back I realise this is a mistake. His shoulders are broad and I see every muscle moving through his tight fitting thermals. I catch up with him enough to see the beads of sweat gathering at the base of his neck. They dampen the blond curls that stick out from underneath his hat and warmth begins to spread in my chest and moves down to other more intimate places. I get a strong desire to catch up with him and lick the bead of sweat right off his neck. I've never been so attracted to the back of a person. In a matter of moments my cheeks become red and it's not from the exertion of the run.

I think about changing direction before I combust from this guy's close proximity but just as I am about to change course he picks a path going in the opposite direction to the one I take. I glance briefly in his direction as he begins jogging back down the hill. My heart rate stops racing so rapidly as I let out a sigh of relief. Running so close to him was getting uncomfortable.

I turn up the music in my ears to try and block out thoughts of the well-toned man. I begin thinking of everything, from favourite sandwiches to the number of different dog breeds I can name to try and forget about him and the effect he had on me. By the time I approach my apartment building he is almost forgotten.

I pant heavily as I push open the door to the building and brush a sweaty hair off my face. I reach for my water bottle but freeze when I see who's standing in the lobby. It's the blond guy from the park earlier.

He tips the contents of his own water bottle down his throat and then wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. He catches me staring at him and gives me a wide smile.

Damn. If I thought the back of him was attractive, the front is even more so. He has a strong jaw with just the hint of stubble gracing his chin. There are dimples when he smiles and his eyes are the brightest blue I have ever seen.

"Hey, I'm Peeta. I just moved in upstairs. You were the girl following me in the park," he says.

I'm pulled to my senses and scowl at him.

"I run that route every day. You were the one following me," I reply.

Peeta chuckles and the sound tickles my skin.

"I suppose I was. But it definitely motivated me haing a pretty girl chasing me," he says.

He smiles at me and I catch his eyes lingering on my body in the tight fitting thermals. He sticks his tongue out and licks his lips as he pulls his eyes back up to my face. I flash of heat courses through my body and I know this game well. As everyone reminds me, I don't do relationships, but I know when a man is interested in me. And I know exactly how to play them.

I take a deep breath, noting Peeta's eyes on my chest as I do so. I move past him, gently brushing his body with mine and touching his arm as I hold his stare.

"I don't do the chasing," I reply.

I hold his gaze for just that moment longer before smiling coyly at him and slipping past him up the stairs.

* * *

I think about Peeta more than I should for the rest of the morning. Even though he was wearing full thermal running gear I could tell he was fit and well-toned. I begin to imagine exactly what is underneath those good fitting clothes and it takes a cold shower to quell the burning in my body. It's been over a month since I last got any and I suddenly see the benefits of starting something casual with a guy upstairs. At least I wouldn't have to travel very far. But on the other hand things could get awkward if it ended messily.

I try to distract myself from Peeta and his strong arms by reading through some case files for work. After Prim texts me to urge me to make plans for the night, I call my two best friends, Johanna and Gale, and arrange to meet them at a bar later to play pool and darts. By lunchtime I am barely thinking about Peeta.

As I am finishing a bowl of soup, there is a knock on the door. I leave my bowl at the sink to go and answer it. Much to my surprise Peeta stands on the other side of the door holding a packet of tea bags and plastic container.

He's changed into a fitted navy sweater and jeans that hug him in all the right places. His messy blond curls are slicked back and his jaw is freshly shaved. He is even more attractive than I remember.

Peeta looks surprised to see me too but recovers quickly and flashes me a bright smile.

"You must be Prim's sister then. You know you never gave me your name earlier," he says.

I stare at him agape for a few minutes as I try to decide if seeing him now is a blessing or a curse. After a moment I get over my shock and answer him.

"It's Katniss, but I really am beginning to think you are following me," I reply with a smile.

Peeta laughs.

"I swear it's just happy coincidences. I just came round to replace the tea bags I used yesterday. And I made some homemade brownies to thank your sister for welcoming me into the building," he replies.

I may have just eaten a whole bowl of soup but the mention of brownies makes my stomach grumble and I try to peer into the plastic container Peeta has in his hands.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't use that many tea bags," I say tipping my head at the large packet. "And are you trying to butter us up with baked goods so we won't get mad when you start playing loud music at three in the morning."

"Nah. It's to butter you up for the fact I have a five-foot anaconda living in my apartment," Peeta replies with a grin.

I laugh at his joke and instinctively step aside to let him in.

"I'm not going to turn down free food. Want to help me eat some?" I ask.

A smile spreads across Peeta's face and he nods his head.

"Will you leave any for Prim?" Peeta asks as I lead him through to the kitchen.

I turn my head back to smile at him.

"How's she ever going to know you made some?" I say with a grin.

Peeta laughs and I take the tea bags and brownies off him. He takes a seat at the table and I offer him something to drink as I find plates for the brownies. Peeta asks for some water and I fill a jug before sitting down next to him.

"So you met my sister yesterday," I say.

Peeta nods his head as he serves me a brownie.

"She was very welcoming," Peeta replies.

"I bet she was. I bet she bombarded you with a thousand questions," I say.

"A few," Peeta says with a chuckle. "But she talked a lot about you too. I hear you kick ass every day in the courtroom."

"My colleague did describe us as superheroes yesterday," I reply.

Peeta laughs and I can't stop the grin that reaches across my face.

"Prim says you're an architect and are building your own house. That's pretty impressive," I say.

Peeta nods his head as he keeps his eyes on me.

"It's been my dream to build my own house ever since I got my first set of Lego blocks. It's surreal now that it's actually beginning to happen," he replies.

"Where are you building it?" I ask.

"This place just outside the city. Hob Valley," he says.

My eyes go wide and I stop eating my brownie to look at him.

"I know the place. It was an hour from the town my sister and I grew up in. It has this great forest trail that leads to…"

"…this incredible lake and waterfall," Peeta finishes for me.

We stare at each other amazed for a moment. I shake my head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you know about that place. Not many people do. It's one of the state's best kept secrets," I say.

"My brother and I found it in college. It's my favourite trail to walk. That's why I want to build my house there. I like the thought of it being in my backyard," Peeta replies.

"Sounds like a dream. Though you're making me get itchy feet. With the cold weather I haven't been hiking in months," I say.

"I know what you mean. Running in the park is nice but it can't beat the peace and tranquillity of a hike," Peeta says.

I nod my head and look at Peeta with an even greater appreciation.

"We'll just have to keep each other company on runs until the weather improves then," I reply.

A huge grin spreads across Peeta's face and he sits back in his chair to look at me.

"As long as I am doing the chasing, right?" he says with a grin.

I laugh and the warm feeling returns to my chest again.

We fall into easy conversation and talk about everything from our running to favourite movies and TV sitcoms. Peeta makes me laugh easily and my jaw begins to hurt from smiling so much. After just over an hour Peeta looks at his watch and gets up to leave.

"I need to get going. It's my brother's bachelor party tonight and I can't remember which box I packed my superhero costume in," he says.

I raise my eyebrow at him as I show him to the door.

"I suppose if I'm not in the office someone needs to overtake my superhero duties," I reply.

Peeta flashes me a grin and stops when we reach my door.

"I promise to keep your secret identify if you promise to keep mine," Peeta says.

I laugh again and get a hint of anxiety over his leaving. I haven't had this much fun talking to a guy in a long time.

I open the door but Peeta lingers for a moment. He locks his eyes onto mine.

"Look, tell me if this is too forward, but I hate bullshitting around and game playing. I really liked talking to you today. Would you like to go on a date with me?" he asks.

I don't even think before answering.

"Yes," I reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone that has followed/favourited/reviewed this story already. I'm glad people are interested for more.**

* * *

 _Chapter 2_

"I knew he was your type," Prim says.

She pauses to pick up a box of cereal and puts it in the shopping trolley before turning to face me with a smirk. I sigh and shake my head. This weekly grocery shop is turning into an interrogation.

"I still stand by the fact I don't have a type but I can appreciate a good looking man when I see one," I reply.

"I just can't believe you managed to secure a date after less than twelve hours. It took me three months to convince Thresh to go out with me," Prim says.

Prim and Thresh met at a fundraising event for the hospital they both work in. Thresh is a PT while Prim works on maternity and Prim came back from the event declaring Thresh was "The One". But Thresh had just broken up with a long term girlfriend and didn't want Prim to be a rebound. My little sister had to work hard to convince him she would be more than that.

"You obviously don't have my skills of seduction," I say putting on a sexy voice and batting my eyelashes.

Prim laughs before turning to browse the bakery section of the grocery store for some bread.

"God help Peeta if that is how you plan to seduce him. The poor man will be running for the hills!" Prim says as she picks up a loaf of bread full of seeds and nuts. "Though we better not forget to stop by the pharmacy. When was the last time you shaved? Do you need to stock up on condoms?"

"Prim! I'm not planning to sleep with him on the first date! I can't believe my baby sister would suggest such a thing!" I exclaim.

Prim shrugs her shoulders as we carry on round the grocery store.

"That's never been a problem for you in the past," Prim points out.

I cringe as she reminds me of my previous sexual escapades. I am not exactly the best role model when it comes to relationships but I have always found the sexual side of relationships easier than the other stuff involved.

"I'm actually a little surprised you agreed to a date with Peeta. He seems like a flowers and chocolates type of guy rather than someone who just falls into bed with a woman," Prim adds.

"It's not like I am completely allergic to relationships. I don't have a lot of time with my job and I have never found a person I actually want to spend more than three months with," I reply.

Prim smiles at me.

"Well I'm glad you're not completely ruling a relationship with Peeta out. Maybe now you've hit thirty you're ready to settle down," she says.

I shake my head at her and suggest we go and pick up some wine. I don't want to talk about a possible relationship with Peeta. We are going on one date and I'm not looking past that. And maybe there is part of me that is scared that I will want more afterwards.

I let Prim study the bottles of wine in the wine aisle as I check some emails on my phone. I'm just replying to a message from Coin when I hear a familiar voice call my name. I snap my head round to see Darius' cheeky smile.

"Of course I was going to bump into you in the wine aisle. Have you set up residency here?" Darius says.

I grin and stuff my phone back in my purse as I wait for Darius to reach me. I've known Darius for the last five years. He used to be a cop and we often worked together in my early years to put the bad guys behind bars. He has a loud personality and can make me laugh quicker than anyone. Even when he left the police force two years ago, to set up his own security company, we kept in touch and meet up for a beer every now and again.

"They let you out of the asylum today? You must have been a good boy," I reply.

"Haha, Katniss. It's good to see you are as charming as ever," he says.

Prim finally selects a couple bottles of wine and comes back to put them in the trolley. She smiles at Darius when she sees him.

"Hey, Darius. How are things going?" she asks.

"See, Everdeen. That's how you greet someone you haven't seen in a few months," Darius replies.

"Well you insinuated I was alcoholic first," I point out.

Darius grins.

"I know you can take it," he says before turning back to Prim. "Things are going very well at the moment. My company has just been contracted to lead the Mayor's security team."

"Wow. That's a pretty important job. How did that come about?" Prim asks.

"Obviously through my winning charm," Darius says with a grin. I raise my eyebrow to show I don't believe him and he laughs. "Actually, the mayor and I go way back. I went to school with his daughter, Madge, and she used to chase me around demanding kisses in kindergarten."

Prim and I both laugh.

"Why do I get the feeling you liked she was chasing you," I say.

Darius grins at me again and shrugs his shoulder.

"I'm too good for Madge Undersee," Darius replies. "But enough about her. What's been happening with you girls? Got big plans for this weekend?"

"Katniss has got a date," Prim replies.

"Oh, Everdeen! You're killing me!" Darius says, clutching his hand to his chest. "And here I thought you were waiting for me!"

I playfully hit him on the arm. Darius tried to ask me out on a few occasions but I've never felt that chemistry with him.

"You know we would never work, Darius. My scowl would scare you away eventually," I reply.

"Sadly, I think that is true," Darius says with a sigh. "Well, I better get going. Things to do and people to see."

I smile and nod my head. Darius says goodbye to us with a wave. We return the wave and then head to the check out to pay for our items.

* * *

Later that afternoon I sit bouncing my leg up and down while I check my watch. I huff when I realise I still have another five minutes to wait.

"Calm down, sis. You are not normally this jittery," Prim soothes.

She comes to sit down beside me wrapped in a large cream sweater and nursing a steaming hot cup of tea in her hands. She blows on top of it before taking a sip.

"I've not been in this situation before. Who organises a first date for the middle of the afternoon? I'm not sure what the dating protocol is here," I reply.

This date with Peeta has caused me more stress than I would like. We haven't managed to meet up for a run together as the winter snows finally arrived and make the roads too icy to run. Although we've texted throughout the week I was surprised when he suggested a date for Saturday afternoon. Every other date I've been on was in the evening and involved either dinner or drinks. This afternoon dating is all new to me.

Even choosing something to wear was a trial. Peeta told me to dress casually but I don't want to turn up in my regular jeans and shirt. After much deliberation with Prim, I settled on jeans with a cropped grey roll neck sweater. It shows off just the hint of my midriff and is a bit fancier than my every day clothes. I allowed Prim to put my hair in a loose braided up do that leaves soft tendrils of my hair framing my face. But I have no idea if this is appropriate or not.

"Stop over thinking it. You like Peeta. You both have things to talk about. You're going to have a great time," Prim reassures me.

I sigh heavily as I lean back into the cushions.

"I just wish I knew where he was taking me," I huff.

Prim smiles at me but then there is a knock on the door. I snap my attention to it and take a deep breath before getting up to answer it.

Peeta is wrapped up warmly in a smart navy pea coat and soft grey scarf. He's slicked his curls back and holds a bunch of pink lilies in his hand. I smile at him as I open the door and he beams at me in return.

"These are for you," he says handing me the flowers. "I know giving flowers is a bit corny but my mom taught me it was gentlemanly to do so."

I take the flowers gratefully and Prim catches my eye from her space on the couch. She smiles at me with a look in her eye that says "I knew he'd buy you flowers."

"Thank you," I say taking the flowers through to the kitchen. "It's been a while since anyone gave me flowers."

Peeta smiles at me again and watches as I fill a vase with water. I leave the lilies on the kitchen counter as I turn back to face him.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going? I'm not very good with surprises," I say.

Peeta smiles wider and shakes his head.

"I love surprises so you better get used to it. I'm not telling you until we get into the car. I don't want to give you a chance to back out," he says.

"Uh-oh. Now I'm scared. You're not taking me to join a cult, are you? I can handle most things but I'm not very good following a regime," I reply.

Peeta laughs.

"Introducing you to the cult is date number two. Got to butter you up first," Peeta jokes.

I laugh and Peeta grins at me. Any nerves I had before disappear and only excitement for the date is left. Peeta then slips his hand down and links our fingers together.

"Come on. We're going to be late. Have you got a coat?" he says.

I nod my head and I go back through to the living room, Peeta still holding my hand, as I get my coat off the peg. Prim notices our joined hands and smiles knowingly at us.

"Have fun you two. I'll be waiting patiently back here to hear all about it," Prim says.

I roll my eyes at her as I let go of Peeta's hand to put on my coat and scarf.

"I fully expect Thresh to be round here ten minutes after I leave. Just remember to clean anywhere you end up having sex," I say.

That shuts Prim up and she blushes as her eyes focus on the magazine in front of her. I hear Peeta chuckle lightly behind me. I turn to him as I wrap my scarf around my neck and suggest we go. Peeta nods his head eagerly as we both shout a goodbye to Prim and exit my apartment.

I pull my coat tighter round my body when we step outside and walk to Peeta's car. Piles of snow line the sidewalk and Peeta walks closely beside me, our arms gently brushing together.

"I love the relationship you have with Prim. It reminds me of my brothers. We give each other a lot of shit too," Peeta says.

"It's part of having a sibling. I swear one of the things that makes me tough in the courtroom is all the bullshit Prim and I pulled on each other as kids," I reply.

Peeta nods his head in agreement.

"I'm the baby out of three boys. Mom despaired of the amount of scrapes and tussles we got into. And we haven't grown up. We managed to tie our oldest brother, Brandon, naked to a dining room table at my brother's bachelor party. It was payback for when Bran locked us out naked of our hotel rooms at his bachelor party," Peeta says.

I laugh and shake my head.

"There's a lot less nudity when it comes to sisters. More leaving spiders in each other's beds," I say.

Peeta nods his head in understanding and then we come to his car. He opens the door for me and I slide in.

"I love my brothers more than anything though. We do anything to protect each other," Peeta says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I know I would die for Prim," I reply.

* * *

It's a short car journey to the destination of our date. Peeta pulls up outside a church and I raise my eyebrows at him.

"I think I would have preferred the cult," I say.

Religion is something I've never followed. Neither of my parents believe in God so Prim and I grew up believing the same thing. I don't have anything against the church but it's not my idea of a good first date.

Peeta chuckles and shakes his head.

"We're not going into the church. Just the church hall. There's a class in there that I want to take you to," he says.

My mind immediately thinks some sort of dancing but Peeta tugs me out of the car before I can question him further. I follow him a little apprehensively as he leads me to the church hall. There are a couple of people milling about the entrance and they seem to recognise Peeta. Peeta tips his head in greeting to them as we pass and he pulls me into the warm church hall.

Immediately I know my theory of dancing is wrong. The church hall is filled with stools and art easels, all placed in a circle and pointing towards a small stage draped in red cloth in the centre of the hall. More people recognise Peeta when we enter and raise their hands to wave at him. I scan the room for a moment before turning to Peeta with a confused frown.

"What is this? Some sort of art class?" I ask.

Peeta stuffs his hands into his pockets and grins at me.

"You got it. This is life drawing class," he says.

"Life drawing? As in drawing naked men and women?" I ask in a hushed tone.

Peeta nods his head and his smile gets bigger.

"Exactly. I've discovered it's the perfect first date," he replies.

"How is drawing naked strangers a good first date?" I ask.

"Well first of all..," Peeta says, stepping in closer to me, "…it allows me to show off my art skills."

I raise my eyebrow at him and shake my head. But Peeta doesn't let this dissuade him.

"And first dates are always a little awkward. This helps break down those awkward barriers and gives us something interesting to talk about. Plus, it means that for our second date we already have an amusing story to tell our family and friends. _'Peeta, tell them about the time you took me to life drawing class',_ " he says, mimicking my voice.

I shake my head again, not fully convinced. Peeta takes another step towards me and places a hand on my arm.

"You must be taken on loads of dinner and drinks dates. I want this date to be one you remember, even if it's just as a funny story you tell your friends," Peeta says.

A small smile spreads across my face and I peer over Peeta's shoulder to survey the room again. Everyone in the room seems relaxed and the stage in the middle doesn't feel quite as intimidating as it did when I first walked in.

Peeta raises his eyebrow at me and looks at me expectedly.

"So are you in? Or did I misjudge this terribly?" he asks.

I smile at him again.

"Show me how to set up," I reply.

A huge grin spreads across Peeta's face and he nods his head eagerly before offering to take my coat. I smile as I hand my coat to him and he gestures to a stool for me to sit on. I wait patiently for him to come back from putting the coats away and wonder exactly what I've let myself into.

* * *

Life drawing is hard. I was never that artistic as a kid, preferring to explore the outdoors, and my drawing skills haven't improved since I was in elementary school. After forty minutes my picture of the naked man is basically a series of crude shapes joined together in a haphazard way. Peeta's on the other hand is very good. I watch his hand dance across the page as he makes his marks and marvel at the sheer concentration in his eyes when he applies shading.

He breaks his stare from the page to turn and look at me. He peeks a glance at my drawing and grins.

"Not bad," he says. "Though his cock looks a bit like a carrot. I hate to think what your previous boyfriends must have been like down there."

"It does not look like a carrot!" I exclaim.

But when I look back at my picture I realise that the cock is rather pointy looking and the way I scribbled the hair at the base makes it look like a carrot top. I laugh before looking back to a grinning Peeta.

"Okay. It does look like a carrot. And I did date a guy who had a fake tanning incident that turned his dick orange," I reply.

Peeta laughs and shakes his head. I can't believe how many times the word cock has been used in the last few minutes but I realise Peeta was right. Life drawing is a great way to break the ice and get rid of first date nerves.

"Besides from the vegetable looking cock, your picture really isn't that bad. You have arms and legs and a face. You might be the next Picasso!" Peeta says.

"It's crap, Peeta. A five-year-old could draw better than this," I say.

Peeta smiles and shrugs his shoulder.

"It's really not that bad. And I bet you can draw awesome stick people," he teases.

I shake my head at him before reaching my hand out to him.

"At least I don't have pencil smudges on my face," I say as I wipe away a smudge by Peeta's nose.

Peeta grins at me and catches my hand as I draw back. He runs his thumb over my knuckles as he holds my stare.

"Was that just an unsubtle way to get to touch me?" he asks.

I hold his stare for a moment before flicking my eyes down to look at our joined hands. A warm tingling begins to spread from Peeta's touch.

"You'll just have to decide that for yourself," I reply with a coy smile.

Peeta smiles back at me before raising my hand and placing a kiss on my knuckles. My hearts thuds a bit louder as he releases my hand and we turn to pack up our things.

Peeta insists on taking my picture home to pin on his refrigerator. I shake my head at him, telling him he should just burn it instead, but he won't be dissuaded. He rolls it up and carries it proudly under his arm back to the car. He opens the door for me and I slide in while I wait for him to put our pictures in the back.

"Next time we're doing something I'm good at. I think it's time to show you some of my skills. I can be deadly with a bow and arrow," I say.

Peeta slides in next to me and raises his eyebrow.

"So there's going to be a next time?" he asks.

"You're not bad to hang out with, I suppose," I reply. Peeta grins at me. "Though it does depend on where you take me for dinner. My stomach's beginning to rumble."

I rub my hand over my grumbling stomach and Peeta grins wider as he turns the key in the ignition. It's dark now and soft snowflakes drift down as Peeta begins to manoeuvre the icy streets.

"How do you like Greek food? Sae's has some of the best food I've ever had," he replies.

I perk up at the mention of the restaurant and sit up straighter in my seat.

"I've been meaning to go there for ages. My friend, Gale, took his girlfriend a couple months back and couldn't stop raving about it. I hope you don't mind watching me gorge myself on food," I say.

Peeta laughs as he keeps his eyes on the road.

"Not at all. I love a girl that eats. Eating is one of my favourite hobbies," he replies.

I smile and sink back further into the seat.

"I think we're going to get on very well," I reply.

Peeta turns briefly to me and we share a smile. This is shaping up to be the best date I've ever had.

Sae's restaurant is even better than I expected. We arrive early so the restaurant is a little quieter but this means we get even better conversation and service from the waiters. Peeta and I order a mixture of dishes, and plenty of ones that require fingers to eat them. We have fun feeding each other bits of food and I relish the darker look in Peeta's eyes when my I lick around his fingers. Peeta even persuades me to join in with the Greek dancing that suddenly starts up in the middle of the restaurant. We stay long after our dishes are finished as we spend hours talking about our lives and hobbies. Everything becomes effortless.

I'm reluctant for the date to end. So when Peeta walks me to my door I linger, not quite ready to say goodbye to him.

"So you up for some archery next weekend? It's only fair I get a chance to impress you," I say.

Peeta smiles at me and takes a step closer to me. His tone of voice drops just that little bit lower as he reaches out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"If it means you have to put your hands on me to get me into position then I'm all for it," he replies.

I look up into his eyes and inhale his scent of cinnamon and dill. It reminds me of a bakery and I want to get lost in it.

I want him to kiss me and his lips hover just above mine. His eyes drop to look at my lips and he inhales deeply. He reaches a hand up to caress the side of my cheek. My eyelids flutter close and I hold my breath as I wait for him to close the remaining distance.

"My mother taught me never to kiss a girl on the first date," he whispers.

I shake my head and place my hand on his arm that holds my cheek.

"I don't give a damn what your mother says," I reply.

I push up onto my toes and press my lips to his. It doesn't take him long to respond and his hands slide up into my hair to lock me in place. Peeta opens his mouth to let me in and kisses me so deeply that I can feel it right down to my toes. I hold him tightly as the rest of the world disappears.

* * *

I push into my apartment after spending ten minutes saying goodbye to Peeta. I'm a little dishevelled, my hair falling out of its braid and my coat rumpled. Prim and Thresh smirk at me when I enter. They sit entwined on the couch, in their pyjamas, and a bowl of popcorn sits in Prim's lap. Thresh stops the movie they are watching as they watch me come in.

"Good date, I take it? Is Peeta now wearing your lipstick?" Prim asks.

I shake my head at her as I take off my coat and scarf and then collapse onto the chair next to the couch.

"I get it. You're going to tease me about Peeta for all the times I teased you about Thresh," I reply.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," Prim says.

Thresh chuckles and squeezes Prim's waist.

"What did you end up doing? Prim told me you freaked out about an afternoon date," Thresh says.

"He took me to a life drawing class before dinner at Sae's. I didn't expect to see a cock on the first date," I reply.

Prim's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Life drawing? That must be the most random date I've ever heard," she says.

I shrug my shoulders and smile.

"It was actually quite fun. I'm bored of always going to the same places and having the same conversations. It was something new and different and we never stopped finding things to talk about," I reply.

I sit back in the chair and let a smile spread across my face as I remember the best parts of the date. I drift off as I remember laughing so hard my sides hurt and the feel of Peeta's hand on my waist while we did the Greek dancing. I can't wait to see him again.

Prim and Thresh have knowing smiles on their faces and turn to each other as they do that annoying telepathic thing where they have a silent conversation.

"I've not seen you like this before. You're never this smiley after a date," Prim says.

"I like him. I'm going to admit that. But this is just one date. I'm taking things one step at a time," I reply.

Prim nods her head in agreement and the conversation comes to a natural close. Prim will want more details tomorrow, when Thresh has gone, but this will do for now. She snuggles back into her boyfriend and Thresh resumes the movie. Seconds later my phone beeps and I jump forward, eager to answer it. Maybe it's Peeta.

But my heart drops when I see Alma Coin's name flash up on my screen. She's sent a text message and I open it to read it.

 _Turn on the news._

I frown but ask Thresh if we can put on the news for a bit. He agrees and stops the movie to switch over to the news channel. A breaking news banner runs along the top of the screen and my eyes widen when I see the headline

 _Mayor's daughter found dead_

 _The body of Madge Undersee was found frozen in a trash can outside her fiancé's house. Her death is being treated as suspicious. Her fiancé has been taken in for questioning._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sadly there isn't a lot of fluff in this chapter but the information in this chapter sets up events for the rest of the story. I'm sure people will immediately start forming theories after this.**

 **Warning: there are descriptions of violence in this chapter that some people may fin disturbing.**

* * *

 _Chapter 3_

The main conference room in the DA's office is crowded. Nearly everyone who works here is crammed inside. Many hold stemming cups of coffee and clutch notepads and tablets in their hands. Loud murmurs fill the room as we wait for the lead detective to enter. I sit near the top of the table, next to an empty seat that is waiting for Alma Coin. Thom sits on my other side and shakes his head at the gossip he hears.

"I hate all this speculation. The theories are getting crazier. Some people are stating it was a sacrificial killing and that her fiancé ate her organs. People forget Madge Undersee was a person," Thom says to me.

I nod my head sadly in agreement. It's been two days since the mayor's daughter was found in the trash cans at her fiancé's house. The police have released very few details since and this means speculation is rife. Everyone is eager to find out more so we can begin to build a case to put the bastard who did this away.

A moment later Detective Thread and Coin walk into the room. The room immediately falls silent and everyone turns their attention to the two serious looking people at the front. Coin takes the seat next to me but Thread remains standing. He wears a grim expression on his face and places the case files onto the desk. I grab a copy before sharing the rest out among the table. Thread waits for everyone to settle down again before speaking.

"You are all aware that this is a big case. The high profile nature of the victim means we have to treat this case with even greater sensitivity. We can't let the media dictate this case," he says.

Everyone nods their heads and I turn to the first page of the case file. A picture of a healthy and very alive Madge Undersee stares back up at me. She's what people would call traditionally beautiful. She has luscious golden blonde hair that reaches far down her back. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkle and her lips are plump and rosy. She has clear porcelain skin and delicate features. It's no wonder the town is in uproar about her death.

"The victim is thirty-year-old Madge Undersee. She was the only child of Mayor Undersee and was an up and coming publishing manager at Tribute Publishing House. She was involved with a number of children's charities and played the piano for her local church choir. She was well liked by her friends and neighbours," Thread begins.

I scan over the other information that is on the front page. Madge Undersee was definitely an all American girl. Cheerleader at high school. Valedictorian at college. Adopted a stray cat with only three legs. And I thought I was an overachiever.

Thread pauses to allow everyone to flip over to the next page of the report and I feel my breakfast begin to resurface at the sight of the images in front of me.

"She was found in the trash can of her fiancé's house on Saturday evening. A dog walker walked by and the dog tipped over the trash can. The investigators on the scene estimated the victim had been dead for two days due to the amount of frost gathered on the body. The body was found cut into pieces and the parts gathered together in a black plastic bag. However, the autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a bullet wound to the head," Thread continues.

It never gets easier to see pictures like this. Madge Undersee's body was hacked to pieces making her almost unrecognisable. Her beautiful face was slashed in several places but the bullet wound can clearly be seen right in the centre of her forehead. Whoever did this was a sick son of a bitch.

"Any sign of sexual assault?" I ask.

"None. At least she was spared of that," Thread says.

There is a murmuring of agreement amongst the room before Thom looks back to Thread.

"Was she murdered at the same site as her body was found?" Thom asks.

Thread shakes his head.

"Evidence suggests not. No traces of blood were found at the site but we did found specks of Miss Undersee's blood at her apartment. We can't say for sure which room she was shot in. The lack of blood found in the body suggests she was cut up in the bathtub and her blood washed away. Her car is missing and our theory, at this moment, is that the body was moved in that," Thread explains.

"Murder weapons found?" I ask.

Thread shakes his head again.

"Ballistics tell us it was her own gun that killed her but it has not been found yet. The pathologist suggests it was some sort of samurai sword that was used to cut her up. There is a sword missing from her wall display that would fit the bill. It would make sense for it to have been used. We do know that the killer was right handed. The incisions on her body clearly indicate this," Thread says.

I nod my head in understanding before looking back at the report.

"The prime suspect is her fiancé, Ryan. He's thirty-two and works in marketing. They had been dating for five years but had a tumultuous relationship. There was suspected domestic violence two years ago when Miss Undersee checked into hospital with a cracked cheekbone. She claimed he accidently hit her in the face with a golf club but nothing was ever proved. They got engaged six months ago and the wedding date was set for August. However, her engagement ring was not found with the body. It's a 6 carat sapphire ring surrounded by fourteen single diamonds. We suspect Ryan took it as some sort of trophy for killing her."

"He claims no knowledge of the body being in his trash can but has no alibi. Security cameras at his house show him leaving the house at 9.15, only 30 minutes before the estimated time of death."

"Do the cameras show him moving the body?" Thom asks.

"Unfortunately not. The feed was cut at 10.45. It was done remotely on Miss Undersee's laptop. I think it's a fair assumption that Ryan cut the feed himself after the murder," Thread replies. "The suspect admits himself that they had an argument the day of the murder and this is collaborated with the witness next door who heard a couple arguing. The witness also said it was not the first time she heard them," Thread says.

"What other suspects have been interviewed?" I ask.

"We're not looking at other suspects. This is a clear case. Ryan had motive, no alibi and the means to kill Miss Undersee," Thread replies.

"What DNA evidence is there to back this theory up?" I prod further.

"No DNA yet. But it's only a matter of time before we find some. He won't have been that clever," he says.

I frown at this bit of information. Circumstantial evidence will only get us so far.

"The suspect was charged with first degree murder and mutilation of a corpse two hours ago. There is no chance for bail. His arraignment is due tomorrow. I'm sure Alma will be able to get the right conviction," Thread says, putting a hand on Coin's shoulder.

Coin smiles and turns to the rest of the room.

"This is a big case and I'll need many of you in this room to help me. Katniss will be working as my number two and you don't do anything without passing it by us first. I look forward to working with you all to put this sick bastard away," she says.

A lot of people nod their heads in agreement. Coin turns to smile at Thread and he nods his head before saying goodbye and ducking out the room. Coin turns to address the room again.

"Let's get started. I'm going to start giving out assignments…" she says.

I listen carefully and take notes as she hands out jobs for people to do. Thom is put in charge of reading the witness statements before passing them on to us with notes. He turns to flash me a grin before he leaves, excited to have some involvement on the case. Slowly the conference room empties as the assignments are given out and eventually it is only Coin and I left. She turns to me with a smile.

"Ready for the biggest case of your life?" she asks.

I smile and nod my head.

"It doesn't sound like we have a lot to go on right now. I'm surprised they had enough to charge him," I reply.

"Thread is a good detective. The guy has no alibi and admitted to fighting the day of the murder. The evidence will be there," she says.

I try to smile too but there is a nagging feeling at the back of my head. It's telling me that this murder hasn't been investigated as thoroughly as it could be.

Coin gathers up all her papers and gets up to leave. She turns to look down at me.

"You ready to see our killer?" she says.

I nod my head and pick up my things. I need to see the guy before I can believe he is capable of murder.

The video technician has already set the computer up for us to watch Ryan's interrogation. Coin and I pull up chairs in front of it, notepads in hand, as we prepare to hear what the suspect has to say. I lean forward to press play and Ryan appears on screen.

He's not our typical killer. The majority of murderers in our city come from low income families and are unkempt. Ryan on the other hand looks like he just walked off an Abercrombie and Fitch photoshoot. He sits slumped in his chair, eyes on the ground and his leg jittering up and down. He has a stocky build and chiselled cheekbones. His dirty blond hair is lightly styled and he supports light blonde stubble on his chin. He wears a thick cream sweater and dark wash jeans that help make him look like a Hollywood actor.

But behind those good looks he looks awful. His face is pale and the bags are dark under his eyes. His eyes and nose are puffy and he often wipes his running nose with the back of his sleeve.

I recognise his lawyer who sits next to him. Haymitch Abernathy is of the top defence lawyers in the state. For someone who is borderline alcoholic, he's caused me a few problems in the courtroom. The first case I ever lost was against him. He sits stoically next to Ryan in a grubby suit and tie with his muddy blond hair plastered to the side of his face.

Thread and another detective sit opposite them both and Thread leans forward as he questions Ryan.

" _That looks like a nasty cut on your hand. How did you get it?" Thread asks._

 _Ryan stretches and flexes his forefinger on his right hand. It has a thick bandage on it and he looks at it while he answers._

" _I cut it while chopping carrots. Madge was the cook, not me," Ryan replies._

 _Thread nods his head but doesn't look convinced._

" _Can you tell me what you were doing on the night of Thursday, January 11_ _th_ _?" Thread asks._

" _I was at home. Watching a movie," Ryan replies._

" _What movie?" Thread asks._

" _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was my favourite film growing up at a kid," Ryan replies._

" _Where you with anyone?"_

 _Ryan shakes his head._

" _So no one can confirm your story?" Thread prods._

" _No. Madge and I had a fight so she had gone to stay at her place," Ryan replies._

" _A fight? What was that about?" Thread asks._

 _Ryan hesitates and flicks his eyes towards Haymitch. Haymitch nods his head to encourage him to answer. Ryan's shoulders deflate and he looks back down at his hands._

" _She was angry about the pictures taken at my bachelor party. They showed me with some strippers. She didn't like that," Ryan replies._

" _Ah, yes. You had your bachelor party last weekend. I can see why she found these pictures upsetting. These girls have very little clothes on," Thread says, finding the photos and pushing them towards Ryan._

 _Ryan refuses to look at them and turns his head away. Thread raises his eyebrow and sits back in his chair, slinging an arm round the back of it._

" _You seem embarrassed by these photos. One of your last nights of freedom. Pretty girls throwing themselves at you. It would be pretty hard to resist," Thread says with a smile._

" _I didn't cheat on her!" Rye snaps. Thread raises his eyebrows. "And I didn't kill her either! I could never do that to her. I loved her! She meant everything to me!"_

 _Ryan drops his head and begins sobbing slightly._

Coin and I turn to give each other a look.

" _I didn't kill her. You should be questioning somebody else. Her ex, Marvel, got back in touch with her recently. Have you questioned him? He's always had an aggressive side. He beat me up when I first starting going out with Madge. You should be questioning him. Because it wasn't me. I didn't kill her," Ryan says desperately._

Coin reaches forward and pauses the video. She sits back in her chair to look at me.

"So what do you think?" she asks.

I turn to the screen and stare at a sobbing, broken man. But at the same I see someone who is nervous. He can't look Thread in the eye. His foot hasn't stopped tapping.

"He's clearly devastated by her death," I begin. Coin looks at me expectedly. "But he's too nervous for an innocent man. My guess, he didn't mean to kill her. An argument got out of hand and he shot her. It would explain the messy decapitating of her body."

A smile spreads across Coin's face.

"I think we're going to be a good team," she says.

Coin and I spend the rest of the day watching Ryan's interrogation video and reading everything in the police reports. Things don't get any better for Ryan as we discover more information. There are a lot of things that aren't very convincing considering he is supposed to be a grieving fiancé.

He fails to mention that he left his house to go for a run thirty minutes before the estimated time of murder. He gets very defensive when the detectives show him the video of him leaving and even more so when they question how the security feed got cut so we never see his arrival back. His defence that he forgot about the run due to recent events won't go down well with a jury.

I find it strange that they didn't live in the same house anyway. Most engaged couples, who have been together for five years, would have made this step but Ryan just shrugs it off saying that they both like their own space. When Thread asks if this is because they fight a lot, Ryan gets angry and we see Haymitch cringe as he tries to calm his client.

But the worse thing is that Ryan didn't seem to be concerned that his fiancée wasn't seen for two days. Her work got worried when she didn't come in on Friday but when they phoned Ryan he brushed it off saying they shouldn't worry. While there are tonnes of messages on Madge's phone asking where she is and if she is okay, not one is from Ryan. That suggests he knew not to text her because she was dead.

I don't stop all day and the pile of papers at the table Coin and I sit at only grows. Coffee is the only thing that keeps me awake but, at one o'clock in the morning, not even that is enough to stop my eyelids drooping. I gather up the pathologist's report and pack up my things. Coin is still bent over witness reports, highlighting the bits we can use.

"I'm going to try and grab some sleep. I'll be in later this morning," I say with a yawn.

Coin puts down the highlighter and looks up to me.

"Good idea. This case is going to take up a lot of your time. Rest when you can. You can forget about having a social life for the next eight months," Coin replies.

I laugh but my heart drops at her last words. I've often prioritised work over my social life but this time the thought leaves me a little disappointed. My mind drifts to blond hair and blue eyes and I wonder how he can fit in while I am on this case.

I say goodbye to Coin, thanking her again for picking me as her number two, and wrap up to brace myself for the cold winter air. I bundle myself into my car and make the quiet journey back to my apartment.

My mind thinks of Peeta again. I haven't seen him since our first date. I've barely left the office since then and he's gone to stay with his parents for a bit after there was some family emergency. We've sent sporadic texts but they aren't anything more than stating how busy we are and apologising for not being able to talk longer. I miss the flirty banter we had begun to exchange and the warm feeling in my chest whenever I saw him in the hallways. Normally I would have cut him by now but I find that I can't bring myself to do it with Peeta. I want a second date with him.

I am not expecting Prim to be up when I enter our apartment, but she sits curled up on the couch, with a mug of something hot in her hands, while she reads something on her tablet. I raise my eyebrows at her as I remove my coat and scarf and then collapse next to her.

"Why are you still up?" I ask.

"Thresh's snoring woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep. I'm hoping warm milk will help me," she replies. "Do you want some?"

She pushes the steaming mug in front of me and I smile gratefully before taking a sip.

"Mmm. That's nice," I say, as a snuggle back into the cushions.

Prim smiles as I pass the mug back to her and lean my head back against the couch. Prim notices the piles of bags I brought home and sighs.

"Please tell me you'll try to get some sleep before going through those again," she says.

"I'll try," I say with a smile. "I just don't know if I'll get to sleep. My head is still buzzing with the case."

"How was it today? I saw they charged the fiancé today. Do you think he did it?" Prim asks.

"Yes. He's already been caught lying to the police and was very defensive in his interview. I just wish there was some DNA evidence to prove it," I reply.

Prim nods her head and takes another sip of her warm milk. She knows I can't talk details about the case so doesn't push me further.

"It's scary. He doesn't look like a murderer. Makes you question who you can trust," Prim muses.

I nod my head in agreement.

"Men like Ryan are worse than the average criminal. They are clever enough to try and cover their tracks. They are used to getting everything they want and get angry when they don't. What he did to Madge Undersee was sick. And it's made worse by the fact she loved him. He betrayed her in the worst possible way. I can't imagine how scary it is to be attacked by something you thought you could trust," I say.

Prim nods her head in agreement and I let out a loud sigh.

"I need to stop thinking about Madge. Coin is so good at shutting her emotions off when dealing with a case. I shouldn't get so emotionally invested," I say.

"I don't think empathy for the victim is a bad thing. It helps you in the courtroom. You can make the jury empathise with you too. That's what gets you so many convictions," Prim replies.

I smile at her gratefully and reach out to playfully tug the end of her braid.

"When did you get so clever, Little Duck?" I ask.

Prim laughs when she hears the childhood nickname she had.

"I've always been clever. You just never listen," Prim says.

She then drains the last of her warm milk and gets off the couch.

"I think the milk worked. I'm going back to bed. Don't stay up much longer," she says.

"I'm just following you," I say.

Prim raises her eyebrows at me, suggesting she doesn't believe me, but bends down to place a kiss on my head. I sit alone in the cold living room for a few moments trying to rid the image of a terrified Madge as Ryan pointed the gun at her head.

* * *

I get up early and head to the office to prepare for the arraignment later this afternoon. This is when the charges are read and Ryan will be given opportunity to state a plea.

The lack of DNA evidence is causing a lot of stress at the office. Ryan's DNA is all over her apartment but that is to be expected as he was her fiancé. There is no DNA evidence linking Ryan to her body or the bag her body was put in. With the murder weapons and Madge's car missing another possible source of DNA evidence is denied to us. With the media interest so high I think the circumstantial evidence and the fact the body was found on Ryan's property will be enough to proceed to trial but I worry that without any DNA evidence we won't be able to convince a jury of his guilt.

The one good thing about the trial is that Judge Lyme is nominated to oversee it. She's a fierce judge but fair and we've built up a good relationship over the last couple of years. This should work in our favour.

Coin and I meet at the courthouse in the afternoon. We have to fight our way into the building as TV cameras and media types crowd the pavement. I duck my head as I walk past them and ignore their shouts for answers. Dealing with the media is part of the job they don't prepare you for at law school.

I smooth down my skirt and tuck my hair behind my ear once we've entered the building. Haymitch Abernathy is standing further down the hall with his own young prodigy, Finnick Odair. Finnick has the looks of a Greek God and is a showman in the courtroom. I grow nervous when I see him. Although Finnick's courtroom tricks annoy me, they are effective. The case just got even harder.

Coin sees my apprehension and shakes her head.

"Don't let them get into your head. We're going to focus on the facts. Let them try to make this into a courtroom drama," she says.

I nod my head in agreement. I've faced them both before and won. This isn't going to be any different. But Finnick sees me glancing in his direction and he flashes me a million-dollar smile before sauntering his way over to us.

"Good afternoon, ladies. I see you are still both interested in putting innocent men in jail," Finnick says with a grin.

"Your client is guilty. For once money isn't going to save him," Coin replies.

Finnick just grins wider and I scowl.

"We all know you don't have the evidence. Though I can't wait to find out what story you come up with," he says.

"You're the one that makes up stories," I reply.

Finnick continues to smile and shrugs his shoulder.

"A trial is always about who tells the best story. And I'm quite the wordsmith," Finnick says.

He then reaches forward and flicks the end of my braid.

"You shouldn't scowl, Kitty Kat. It gives you wrinkles," he says.

He gives me one last smile before turning and walking back to Haymitch. The old man shakes his head at his prodigy but Finnick just laughs and slaps Haymitch on the back. Anger begins to bubble up inside of me. I can't believe Finnick Odair sees this all as some sort of joke. A young woman is dead and all he can do is laugh.

Coin tugs on my arm, getting me to move, and soon we are allowed into the courtroom. We make our way to our desks at the front and begin unpacking our papers. Haymitch and Finnick follow in behind us, along with the members of the public that are attending the hearing. I get my first glimpse of Ryan as he is brought in through a door in the side. He doesn't look any better from when I saw him in the interrogation video but Haymitch has dressed him in an expensive navy suit and tie and he looks the furthest thing from a murderer as possible.

I finish unpacking my things and turn to catch the eye of Madge Undersee's parents. Mrs Undersee is just an older version of her daughter and the mayor is also blond and has a slightly rounded belly. I met with them earlier in the week and both were clearly devastated. Seeing the family always make me even more determined to win the case. Today Mrs Undersee clutches onto her husband as he leads her to a seat. She has a tissue in her hand and constantly blows her nose and wipes her tears away with it.

The mayor's eyes flick over to where Ryan sits at the front and pure hatred clouds his eyes as he sees the man who killed his daughter for the first time since it happened. Ryan feels the mayor's stare and goes pale when he turns and catches the mayor's eye.

Coin watches the interaction carefully and then nudges me in the side so that I turn to look at the other side of the courtroom.

"Those are the Mellarks," she says pointing out Ryan's family. "You always wonder what went on in that house for them to raise a brutal murderer."

I haven't give much thought to Ryan's family. My focus is getting justice for Madge. But I did read that Ryan came from a well off family who run a chain of bakeries and was one of three boys. I didn't need to know any other details.

But my heart stops and my body tenses when I turn to catch a glimpse of the family.

I'm caught staring at one of his brothers. His younger brother who looks equally shocked to see me here.

Peeta.

* * *

 **A/N: I know nearly everyone would have guessed Peeta's link because of the title of the story but hopefully there will be shocks and surprises along the way. As you can imagine, things get very complicated for Everlark now.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback on the last chapter. It's great to see so many different theories already. I'm sure people's opinions will change throughout the story.**

* * *

 _Chapter 4_

My heart thuds in my chest as I lock eyes with Peeta. I blink to try and rid his face from staring back at me. But I open my eyes again and he's still there. He sits in the last place I would ever imagine seeing him next.

Everything else fades into the background and it is only after Coin nudges me with her elbow that I realise she has been calling my name for the last few minutes. I finally regain my senses and snap my head back round to look at her.

"Sorry. I didn't catch what you said," I say.

Coin looks at me firmly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Don't let the pretty boy and his golden family get into your head. Just because he's not the usual type to commit murder doesn't mean he isn't a sick son of a bitch," Coin says.

I force a smile and use all my will power to not glance back in Peeta's direction.

"I won't get distracted in this case," I reply.

Coin smiles and nods her head before turning back to the pile of papers in front of her. My heart continues to thump in my chest as I bend down to look at the notepad in front of me. I don't dare look up as I feel Peeta's stare burn through me.

The arraignment itself is simple enough. Judge Lyme reads the charges against Ryan and he puts in a plea of not guilty. None of this is surprising and we will reconvene in court next week for the preliminary hearing. That's when it will be decided if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. Without any DNA evidence next week's court appearance is likely to be more problematic. If we want to have a convincing case we need the police investigators to find some by then.

But I don't really focus on the words being in said about the case. I feel Peeta's stare on me throughout the entire court hearing and it causes the skin on the back of my neck to heat up. I become uncomfortable as the sweat gathers on my skin. Coin throws me confused looks as I huff and fidget in my chair. Peeta's stare slowly feels like it is suffocating me.

Judge Lyme finally declares the session over and I let out a breath of relief as everyone stands so the Judge can leave. Coin turns to the Undersees to offer them some words of encouragement but I can't stand to be in this courtroom any longer.

I make a hurried excuse to leave and scuttle out of the courtroom. I burst into the corridor and several reporters demand my attention as I push my way past people. But I don't acknowledge anyone as I hurry out the building. My pace quickens the closer I get to the door and I practically run out the building and dart round the side. I stop when I find a deserted corner and lean my head back against the wall and try to come to terms with what has just happened.

I hear heavy footfalls approaching and groan as I think who they might belong to. Part of me just wants to forget today ever happened.

Peeta appears round the corner and my heart constricts painfully at the sight of him. He looks tired and his curls are in an even bigger disarray than normal. He stares at me with big, disbelieving eyes as he shakes his head.

"Why didn't you tell me you were on Ryan's case?" he demands.

My natural defence mechanisms come up and I pick myself off the wall to step towards him.

"I didn't realise he was your brother. You didn't tell me that the family emergency was that your brother committed murder!" I exclaim.

"Rye, didn't do it. He's innocent. And you honestly expect me to believe you didn't know? We have the same last night and I'm sure my name must have come up while you were looking at his family history," Peeta replies.

He steps closer towards me and clenches his fists. Only a week ago his close proximity would have thrilled me. Now it does nothing but anger me further.

"I didn't know your last name. I'm awful at remembering them. And Ryan's file said he had a brother called Peter. You told me your brother's name was Rye. It's not surprising that I missed the connection," I snap.

"Peeta and Rye are a childhood nicknames. I told you that," Peeta says exasperated. He pauses a moment to shake his head. "Did you listen to anything I told you?"

"Don't be petty. We've known each other for three weeks. I'm sorry if I didn't remember every little thing you said," I snarl.

I stop to take a deep breath and take a step back away from him. I run an agitated hand through my hair and it is times like this that I really wished I smoked.

"This is so fucked up. This case is the biggest one of my career. This is the one that is going to put me on the map and I could get taken off it for just living in the same building as you. I can't believe you could ruin this for me," I exclaim.

Peeta's face hardens and he clenches his jaw. I look up and his expression scares me. It's not what I am used to seeing on him.

"I'll make things easier for you, Katniss. I won't speak to you. I won't tell the defence that I ever knew you," he says.

My heart initially jumps in relief that he won't expose me but this soon turns to disappointment as I realise what this means. My shoulders sag and I offer Peeta a meek smile.

"Thank you," I reply.

Peeta tersely nods his head and stares at me for a long moment. Just like in the courtroom, his stare causes my heart to pick up and my neck to flush. I drop my eyes quickly to the ground to avoid him.

Eventually Peeta breaks his stare on me and turns to move.

"I'm not doing this for you. I could never be with a person that is willing to put my innocent brother away," he says.

The tone of his voice is so hard and cold that it runs shivers down my spine. I can't even look at him as he turns and walks away.

* * *

Peeta's words haunt me for the rest of the day. I can't work out what my overriding feeling towards him is now. Is it anger for him accusing me? Is it sadness over ending whatever it was we started? Or is it relief for not being exposed?

I know I'm not productive in the office that afternoon and constantly mix up files and send people to do the wrong jobs. Coin notices something is wrong and sends me home early. I get back to the empty apartment and change into my running gear. I hope exercise and music blasting into my ears will be enough to drown Peeta out.

I purposefully avoid my usual park, in fear of remembering Peeta, and instead pound the streets in the next neighbourhood. I'm thankful that the snow and ice has melted enough to make it safe to run again and I push myself hard as I run through the dark streets. I run myself to near the point of exhaustion and am so tired that my brain doesn't have enough energy to think about anything other than putting one foot in front of the other.

Prim is in when I get back to the apartment but I don't want to talk to anyone as I storm in. I stride through to the kitchen to fill a glass of water and knock the contents back down my throat. I hear Prim pad softly through and she stands in the doorway, watching me carefully.

"I saw Ryan Mellark's family leaving the courthouse on the news today. One of his brothers looked an awful lot like Peeta," she says.

I'm glad that I don't have to explain what I learned today but know Prim will want more details. I slam the empty glass down on the counter and wipe my mouth roughly with the back of my arm.

"It was Peeta. But he's not going to say anything. I won't be taken off the case," I reply, not turning round to look at Prim.

Prim moves from the doorway and strides round so she stands beside me. She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me intently.

"You can't lie to me, Katniss. That's not what's pissed you off," she says.

"What else is there to say, Prim?" I say, turning towards her. "We went on one date. It should be easy for me to forget about him."

Prim shakes her head fiercely at me and places a hand on my arm.

"You admitted yourself that it was the best first date you've ever been on. You smiled every time you received a message from him. It's okay to admit that you liked him and that you are sad that things ended," Prim replies.

My shoulders slump forward and I shake my head. I'm too tired to put up a fight any more.

"I don't think I've ever been so excited at the start of the relationship. I honestly thought I couldn't feel like that about someone," I admit.

Prim smiles at me sympathetically and wraps her arms around me. I lean my head against her shoulder and accept her hug.

"It's just typical that the first guy I like in ages has a murderer for a brother," I say.

Prim doesn't say anything else as she squeezes me tight. We stand in the kitchen for a long moment as I let myself grieve for something that hadn't really started to begin with.

* * *

I wake the next day and make a promise to myself to never think of Peeta Mellark again. I allowed Prim to make a fuss over me last night, feeding me ice cream and watching old sitcoms to help cheer me up but I'm not going to waste any more time on it. I have a case to win.

Madge's funeral is today and Coin thinks it would be beneficial for us to go. We join the swarm of people that stand in huddles in the cemetery. There is a thin layer of frost on the grass and the air is completely still. Heads are bent low, many to try and hide their tears, and the open grass land is eerily quiet. I shiver as I walk up the path to join the rest of the mourners.

"I hate going to young people's funerals. It never seems fair that all that potential is wasted. And the family's grief is so raw," Coin says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I feel sad and angry and I didn't even know her. There is nothing we can say to make this any better," I reply.

"But we can do something," Coin says. "We can make sure that bastard pays for what he did to her."

I nod my head but Coin's comments just make me think of the Mellarks again. I have to blink to rid the image of Peeta's face out of my mind.

Coin checks her cell phone and types something rapidly on it. She doesn't look up as she continues to speak.

"The investigation team are searching Ryan's office again. We need to find the murder weapons and Madge's car. They must have the DNA evidence we need. Ryan must have hid them somewhere," Coin says.

"I thought they already searched his office. Nothing out of the ordinary turned up," I reply.

"They must have not looked hard enough. The murder weapons must be somewhere. We're searching his property again and his parent's estate to see if he stashed them there," she says.

"A samurai sword is a pretty big thing to miss. He most likely chucked it into the river," I say.

Coin stops typing her message and shoves the phone back into her pocket. She pulls her head back up to look at me.

"Don't underestimate the ineptitude of the Panem Police Force," she states.

I'm not entirely convinced. Ryan Mellark is an educated man. He wouldn't be as stupid to hide the murder weapon at his office.

I rub my hands together to keep them warm from the brisk winter air. I catch snippets of conversations. Most mutter how tragic Madge's death was and many wonder if the Mellarks will show up. The hatred for Ryan and the Mellark is obvious in their tone and for whatever reason this makes me feel uncomfortable.

Coin and I end up standing next to Madge's boss, Seneca Crane. He has one of those ridiculous fancy trimmed beard and gives off a rather smarmy persona. He takes a great interest in the case.

"Ryan is the only suspect you are looking at? No one else has come under suspicion?" he asks.

"No one worth looking into," she replies.

Seneca Crane nods his head.

"So beautiful and tragic," he says. However it doesn't sound as sincere as it should do. "She will be missed even if she sometimes made things difficult at the office."

But I don't get any more time to speak with her boss because I spot a familiar head of red hair. Darius spots me at about the same time and gives me a sad smile. I leave Coin behind and walk towards my old acquaintance.

"Darius, I didn't expect to see you here," I state when I reach him.

"I've known Madge almost my whole life, remember. It's how I got the security job for her dad," Darius replies sadly.

He looks rough. He hasn't shaved in a few days and his eyes are red rimmed. His whole body sags and hunches forward. I smile at him sympathetically as I reach out to place a comforting hand on his arm.

"Of course. I forgot. She chased you demanding kisses," I say trying to brighten his mood.

Darius manages a weak smile as he nods his head.

"She was my best friend, Katniss. And the best friend anyone could ask for. I still remember when I had mono on my twenty-first birthday. I couldn't go out and get drunk like a normal twenty-one-year-old so Madge came and brought the party to me. She filled my apartment with balloons and made virgin cocktails. We even played beer pong with non-alcoholic beer. She always put her friends first," Darius says.

I give his arm a comforting squeeze.

"Everything I've read about her this last week tells me she was a good person. I think that if I ever met her we would have been friends," I say.

Darius smiles and nods his head.

"You would have loved her, Katniss. She's the only other person I know that loves karaoke as much as you do," he replies.

I laugh and drop my hand from his arm. Darius smiles a genuine smile but this soon drops and he hangs his head.

"She called me half an hour before she was killed. She told me about her fight with Ryan. If only I had offered to go over…" Darius says.

I reach out to grip the tops of his shoulders.

"Don't think like that. Don't blame yourself. The only person who is to blame is Ryan Mellark," I state determinedly.

Darius nods his head.

"At least they didn't let the bastard come to her funeral. And it seems his family have had the decency to stay away. Though she was pretty good friends with his younger brother," Darius says.

I tense at the mention of Peeta. My task of forgetting him is not being successful. I suddenly worry about how he is feeling. He's got a brother accused of murder and a dead friend. That would be enough to break most people. But I don't dwell on Peeta too long. Darius catches sight of someone over my shoulder and tenses his jaw.

"Jesus. Marvel's turned up," Darius says in a hard tone.

I twist round to follow Darius' line of sight. I spot an average height man with mousy blond hair and cold blue eyes. He wears a very expensive designer suit and a look of arrogance.

For some reason the name rings a bell but I can't quite place him.

"Who's Marvel?" I ask.

Darius keeps his eyes pinned on the man and stares at him coldly.

"He was Madge's college boyfriend. Total idiot frat boy but that seemed to be Madge's type. He was really possessive over her and got angry if she even looked in the direction of another man. It's safe to say he hated me," Darius replies.

The lightbulb goes off in my head as I remember exactly where I heard that name before. Ryan mentioned him in his interrogation.

"He didn't like Ryan either, did he? Ryan said he assaulted him at one point," I say.

Darius smirks and shakes his head.

"Marvel gave the pretty boy a beautiful black eye. It was about the only good thing Marvel ever did," Darius replies.

"Did he see Madge recently? Ryan seemed to think so," I ask.

"I think he bumped into her one night. But Madge doesn't give him much time these days," Darius replies.

I nod my head in understanding as I continue to look at Madge's ex. It seems strange that his name hasn't cropped up more in the investigation. I know Ryan is the prime suspect but ex boyfriends are normally the first to be questioned. Particularly if they had a controlling presence in the past.

I want to question Darius more about Marvel but the black limousines appear up the path and everyone turns to watch them. The first vehicle holds Madge's coffin and it is surrounded by hundreds of blue and white flowers. The Undersees travel in the car behind and Mrs Undersee can barely walk as she gets out the car and grips onto her husband tightly. Mayor Undersee looks on painfully at the coffin in the car and Darius leaves my side to be one of the men to help lift the coffin out of the car. The crowd part slightly to allow Darius and the five other men carry the coffin to the graveside. Mayor Undersee practically carries his wife as they follow behind. When they eventually come to a stop Mrs Undersee's tears are clear for everyone to see.

Close family and friend members take the chairs beside the graveside but there are so many people here that the chairs fill up quickly. I find Coin again and we stand near the back. Soon the priest steps forward and begins the service.

This must be the worst funeral I have ever been to. Everyone that comes up to speak is just the voice over the sniffles and tears. Every now and again louder sobs ring out and causes another pang in my heart. I may not have known Madge Undersee but the grief for her is so tangible that I can't help but feel their pain too. I duck my head to try and block out the sounds around me but Coin is able to stand stoically to my side. No emotion crosses her face.

I've never been good with obvious displays of human emotions and don't think I can take much more of this anguish but then Mayor Undersee steps up to make the eulogy for his daughter. He stands behind the lectern and spends a few moments focusing on the papers in front of him before finally looking out to the sea of mourners. He tries to smile but it cracks mid-way through and he lets out a shuddering breath.

He sniffs loudly before proceeding with his speech.

"Thanks you all for being here today. It is so good to know so many people loved and cared for Madge," he begins.

"Every father likes to think their daughter is perfect. And I guess I was luckier than most. I thought Madge was the most wonderful human being on the planet. She was smart and whenever I tried to help her with her homework she ended up teaching me. She loved to sing and play the piano. She never complained when I forced her to duet with me at our annual Christmas party even though it must have embarrassing for her. And she was kind. I never met a person that didn't like my daughter. I saw her charm children as she taught them to dance, enchant the people at the care home as she read them stories and baked them cookies. And she dropped everything for a friend that needed her. I couldn't be more proud of the beautiful, thoughtful and loyal daughter I had," Mayor Undersee says.

He pauses to wipe his nose with a handkerchief and then a small smile spreads across his face.

"That's not to say she was completely perfect. Madge had her flaws just like everyone else and there were times she didn't always follow my rules. I still remember the party she held at our house while she was in high school. Melinda and I were away for the weekend so Madge saw it as an excuse to invite all her friends round and get up to mischief. She almost got away with it too. She cleaned the house spotlessly. But she missed one thing. She was caught out when Melinda and I found a blow up doll with the photo of her English teacher stuck on its head in our ensuite shower. Some of the party guests had written some rather colourful things about their stern English teacher on it. I made her sing ten extra duets with me to compensate," Mayor Undersee says.

There is a ripple of laughter and the mayor lets himself smile for a moment. But once the laughter stops he grows solemn again.

"I never thought I would have to make this speech. Parents aren't supposed to write the eulogies for their children. But here I am. I have to live with the fact that my daughter was killed in the most violent way. Killed by a man who she loved. Who she trusted. Who she had been planning a future with. But I don't want to remember her for the way she died. Madge did so many great things in her short life so I urge you all to remember the happy things. All the little things she did to make you smile. Ryan Mellark may have taken Madge but don't let him take away her memory too. I know I want to remember her as the beautiful daughter who convinced me to run a marathon and sang White Christmas with me. I hope you remember her a similar way too," the mayor says.

He stops again and takes another deep breath.

"Madge, I miss you and a day won't go by where I don't think of you," Mayor Undersee concludes.

He gives the crowd a weak smile and manages to hold back the tears until he re-joins his wife at the front. Mrs Undersee smiles at him with tears streaming down her face. She holds her arms out for him and the mayor collapses into them, burying his head into his wife's shoulder.

The service ends soon after and I watch on solemnly as the coffin is lowered into the ground. The Undersees throw some dirt on top before turning back and heading to the cars. The wake is back at their house but Coin and I aren't attending. We're going straight back to the office to continue our work on convicting Ryan Mellark.

Some of the mourners leave immediately while a few hang about before moving on. Many discuss the service and their relief that the Mellarks didn't show up. Darius gives me a sad wave as he leaves. Coin gets a phone call and I stuff my hands in my pockets in a feeble attempt to stay warm. Coin chats on the phone for ten minutes and comes back with a big smile on her face.

"We've got Ryan Mellark truly now. They just found the samurai sword at his office. They fast tracked it at the lab and his blood is all over it. It looks like he didn't cut himself cooking," Coin says with an almost gleeful tone.

I'm surprised by this bit of news and shake my head in disbelief.

"They found it at his office? Where?" I ask.

"It was hidden behind some filing cabinet. Some idiot must have not thought to move it the first time," Coin replies.

I nod my head in understanding but still find it a little hard to believe a big sword was missed on the first search.

"It's definitely the sword that killed her?" I ask.

Coin nods her head eagerly.

"It matches the description of the one missing in Madge's apartment and the pathologist says it's consistent with incisions on the body," Coin replies.

"And Madge's blood is on it too?" I ask.

"No, actually. Just Ryan's. He must have cleaned her blood off after he cut her up in the bath," Coin replies.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why go to the trouble of cleaning her blood off but then let himself bleed over it?" I say.

"He probably didn't realise he was bleeding on it. Stop questioning things, Katniss. The DNA evidence was the only thing missing from this case. There's no way a jury is not going to convict him now," Coin says.

I don't say anything else as Coin turns to leave. It still seems a bit odd but I put that aside for now. I should be happy with the break through.

We're the only ones left now. The grave digger works behind us, shovelling dirt on top of the coffin as another man works to take down all the chairs. I turn back to look at the grave for one last time. I want to make a silent promise to Madge Undersee that I will make sure her killer is put behind bars. But when I turn back round I find a group of five people walking towards the grave with a bunch of white lilies. They all have blonde hair and as they come closer I recognise the facial features of the Mellarks. Mr and Mrs Mellark lead the front with their two sons and their daughter-in-law behind them. I watch them stunned as Mrs Mellark lays the wreath of lilies by the grave and sniffs back a tear. Her husband wraps his arms around her as Ryan's mother straightens up and buries her head into her husband's shoulder. I am shocked by their obvious display of grief.

My eyes soon zone in on Peeta and he turns and catches sight of me. His eyes are red and puffy and he looks away quickly after he spots me. For the first time I appreciate the fact that the Mellarks loved Madge too. She was part of their lives for five years and Ryan's actions don't change the fact that they cared about her. The focus is always on the victim's family but people don't stop to think about the emotional strain it must be for the accused's family.

People may hate the Mellarks for what their son did but I realise that they also have the right to grieve her too.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Piles of papers surround me and block me in. I've been sitting hunched forward for so long that it hurts my back to move. I'm currently reading character reports on Ryan Mellark from Madge's close friends and family and am trying to work out if we can use them to portray Ryan as the dominating force in the relationship. But the statements are wildly contradicting. Most admit that Madge and Ryan fought a lot, though it mainly seemed to be over trivial things such as forgotten anniversaries and nagging. But the people angriest over Madge's death claim Ryan was a controlling bully who wasn't good enough for Madge while the more rational among the group reluctantly admit their surprise that Ryan killed her. They admit that even with all the fighting it was clear Ryan was smitten with Madge and that he was often the one that made the compromises in their relationship. I rub the sore spot in the centre of my forehead to try and alleviate the headache behind my eyes.

Thom knocks on my door, disturbing my thoughts, and pops his head round. He holds up a brown paper bag and steaming polystyrene cup of coffee.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" he declares with a smile.

I sigh as I lift my head up and stretch out my back.

"Of all the holidays in the year, Valentine's Day has to be the most pointless," I reply.

Thom grins at me as he shrugs his shoulders and invites himself into my office.

"You're just grumpy that you're not getting laid tonight," Thom says.

"I don't have time to get laid at the moment. Madge Undersee has taken over my entire life," I reply.

Thom shakes his head as he sits down. He puts the coffee in front of me and pulls out two brie and cranberry sandwiches from the paper bag. He offers me one and I gladly accept.

I've always hated Valentine's Day and the corniness attached to it. It's just a waste of good chocolate and flowers. With Madge's case, I didn't even realise that the dreaded holiday had come around again. It was only when I overheard Prim book a reservation at a posh fusion restaurant that it clicked in my head. At least I have an excuse this year to not dress up and try and find a date.

I bite into the sandwich and moan as the food hits my stomach. I haven't eaten anything since I got into the office this morning and I suddenly become ravenous.

"Why aren't you bringing lunch to Delly? I'm sure your loving girlfriend is a much better Valentine's date than me," I say through mouthfuls.

"She doesn't want us to see each other until tonight. Apparently it builds up the anticipation or some shit," Thom replies.

I laugh and shake my head.

"If it helps, I know she went to Victoria Secret yesterday on her lunch break," I say.

Thom's eyes perk up and he shuffles back in his chair.

"God. I hope she buys something red. Her tits look fucking amazing in red," Thom replies dreamily.

"Calm down. I don't want you getting a boner in my office," I say.

Thom snaps out of his fantasy and turns to me with a grin.

"It'd be the only boner you've seen in a while. It'd be a nice reminder of what cocks are good for," he replies.

"You're a pig. We're not in a male locker room. I don't even miss sex," I say.

Thom snorts as he bites into his sandwich but thankfully doesn't tease me any further. I'm not in the mood to defend myself. And talking about sex just makes me remember the last man I felt pressed against me. I can't let my mind wander down that track.

Thom changes the conversation after he's finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"So I heard they found Madge's car. Any DNA in it?" he asks.

We caught another lucky break in the case yesterday. We got an anonymous tip two days ago and Madge's brand new Audi was found abandoned in an old quarry. It is suspected as the vehicle that moved her body from her apartment to the trash cans at Ryan's house.

"A sweep of the car was done yesterday and we're just waiting to hear back from the lab on the results. All I know so far is that blood and blond hair was found," I reply.

Thom lets out a low whistle.

"Ryan Mellark is in deep trouble," he says.

"Killers only have themselves to blame," I reply.

Thom laughs as he leans back in his chair and rubs his belly.

"There's no such thing as innocent until proven guilty, is there?" he says.

I don't answer and duck my head to look at the reports in front of me. I have to believe Ryan Mellark is guilty. Otherwise it calls into question everything we do at the the DAs office.

"Did you look into Andrew Marvel like I asked?" I ask trying to change the subject.

Thom nods his head. After Darius' comment about Marvel at the funeral I became curious to find out more about him. I know the evidence against Ryan is mounting but I can't shake the uneasy feeling I felt when I saw Marvel at the funeral. He fits the bill for someone who inflicts domestic abuse much better than Ryan does. I just want to double check that he's not involved in any way.

"I read through all the police reports but the only mention of him I found was in Ryan's interrogation. He was never questioned about his relationship with Madge," Thom replies.

I sigh as I lean back in my chair.

"It's not just me, is it? It's weird that he wasn't questioned. Even just to check him off the list," I say.

"They questioned no one else as a suspect in the murder. No one else was asked to give an alibi. That's strange," Thom says.

I shake my head in disbelief.

"I hope this doesn't come and kick us in the ass later. I just know Abernathy is going to make this about how this investigation was a witch hunt against his client," I say.

"If that's their defence then you're onto a win. That's clutching at straws," Thom says.

"Maybe…" I say.

But I'm not convinced. Abernathy is a lot of things but he's not stupid. And with Finnick on his team they will be able to paint a pretty convincing story.

Coin knocks on the door a few moments later and holds up a brown file in her hands.

"The lab results are in. Come to my office to check them out," she says.

I nod my head as I push up from my desk. I say goodbye to Thom and follow Coin out the room. We make the short walk to her office and she opens the door for me and gestures for me to take a seat. She sits opposite and places the file in front of us. She looks at me with an excited smile while I become fidgety with nerves.

"I'll let you open it up," she says.

I take a deep breath and pause for a short moment before flipping the cover open. Our eyes scan the report and the smile spreads wider across Coin's face.

"The bastard is going to prison!" she exclaims.

I pick up the report and let a slow smile spread across my face. The blood found on the car belongs to Madge, all but confirming that the car was used to transport her body. And the blond hairs found in the driver seat belong to Ryan Mellark.

"Abernathy will try to claim that it's not unusual for a Ryan's hair to be found in his fiancée's car but we can work around that," Coin says.

I shake my head to disagree with her.

"They can't use that as a defence. Madge only bought the car the week of her murder. When Ryan was questioned about the car's whereabouts he claimed that he had never even been inside it. He's caught himself out in his own lie," I say.

Coin gives me an impressed smile.

"You've got eye for detail. I was right to pick you for this case," Coin says.

I let a proud smile cross my face and only take a minute to bask in her praise before she leans in and we begin discussing how we can use this in the case.

* * *

This latest find causes an excited buzz around the office and keeps me busy for the rest of the day. But the Marvel thing is still nagging in the back of my mind and I decide to phone my reporter friend, Rue, to help me out.

"Hey, Rue. How's business for a criminal reporter?" I ask.

Rue laughs.

"Everything is about the Madge Undersee case. But I'm sure you know that. The DA office is releasing very few details. Care to help a friend out? I need to make a living somehow," Rue asks.

I've known Rue for the last three years and she is good friends with my sister. She's an up and coming criminal reporter that has managed to snag a few big scoops the last couple of years. She's one of the few journalists that has some integrity and is always more concerned about the truth than sensationalised headlines.

"I have a favour to ask actually," I reply.

"Now I'm intrigued," Rue says.

"Andrew Marvel was Madge's ex-boyfriend. Close friends say he was very possessive and even got into a fight with Ryan a few years back," I say.

"You think he was in on it too?" Rue asks.

"I don't know. I just know something isn't right about him. He turned up to the funeral even though he and Madge didn't end on good terms," I reply.

"You want me to interview him," Rue states.

"Ideally. I just want you to check him out. I trust your judgement. And no other journalist knows about him," I say.

I hear Rue sigh on the other end of the phone.

"It's a bit more gossipy than I'm used to," Rue begins. "But then if he is legitimately involved somehow it would be a big break for me."

"Is that a yes?" I ask nervously.

"It's, I'll think about it," Rue says. "I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Thanks, Rue. I'll call you if we want to leak more details about the case. Coin is keeping everything under wraps at the moment. She doesn't want the media to influence potential jurors," I say.

"Yeah, yeah. I think you lawyers just like making our jobs difficult," Rue says.

"A job is not interesting if it's not challenging," I reply with a smile.

Rue laughs again.

"Wise words, Katniss. I'll speak to you soon," she says.

I say goodbye and hang up the phone. I feel like I've made a lot of progress today.

* * *

I decide to go on a run when I get home to try and control the adrenaline running through my body. I plug my headphones in and run in the direction of the park.

I haven't been running as much lately. This is partly due to the case taking up most of my waking hours. But the other part is that I want to avoid Peeta.

He moved back into the building a couple of weeks ago and apart from when I saw his back disappearing up the stairs shorty after I have been very successful in avoiding him. It's best for us all that we forget about each other and move on. But that's not always easy when I hear him moving about upstairs.

The sun begins to set as I enter the park and the park lights begin to flicker on. I quickly get into a rhythm and lose myself to the music in my ears. I feel calm as I run round the park and weave through the people making their way home or just beginning to set out for the night. For the first time in a long time my head is clear of Madge Undersee and the vicious man that killed her.

However, as I run round a bend I spot Peeta running up the hill. He still wears those ridiculous thermal leggings and skin tight running gear. I mentally scold myself when I find myself appraising how good his body looks in said running gear and shake my head as I turn to run in the opposite direction. I'm not going to let Peeta Mellark ruin the best run I've had in weeks.

I turn my music up even louder to distract me from thoughts about him and begin running my new route.

My running style gets sloppier as I continue round and I'm not really watching where I am going. I apologise to an old couple that I run into and almost knock down. The man isn't impressed as I try to help his wife up but almost drop her again when I think I see a set of blond curls run past.

Eventually my run nears to an end and I head towards the entrance of the park. There is a bit of a bottleneck of runners and I have to slow as I approach the gates. I jog on the spot as I wait for the line to move and turn to scowl at the person who jostles me as he runs up beside me.

"I'm so sorry," the male voice says as I turn to him.

Immediately my scowl turns to a look of alarm when I catch sight of Peeta standing beside me. He raises his eyebrows in surprise but this soon turns to a look of stone.

"So much for changing my running schedule to avoid you," he mutters as he looks away.

I'm surprised he had the same idea as me but can't help but be a little hurt by the cold tone of his voice.

"I guess great minds think alike," I reply.

Peeta snaps his head back round to look at me. He wears a confused look on his face but he loses it with a shake of the head.

The line of people in front of us begin to move and we follow them out of the park. I begin to panic as we leave. I'm stuck with Peeta now. We're both heading in the same direction and it would be stupid to take the long route back just to avoid him. We walk stoically beside each other and after a couple of torturous minutes Peeta clears his throat to speak.

"I don't know how to talk to you," he admits. "I mean, am I even allowed to? I'm sure this is breaking some lawyer protocol."

I slump my shoulders forward and walk with him along the sidewalk.

"As long as we don't talk about the case it should be fine," I reply.

Peeta nods his head but keeps his jaw in a firm line.

"I can't talk about the case anymore anyway. I don't have any more words left for it," he admits.

I stay silent and look down at my feet. After seeing the Mellarks after Madge's funeral I know things must be tough on them but I don't have any words of comfort to make Peeta feel better.

"Most of my friends hate me now for what they think Ryan did to Madge," he says sombrely.

Every fibre in my body wants to reach out and pull him into a hug. I want to squeeze him tight so that the only thing he remembers is the sensation of my body pressed against his. But I can't. I'm not allowed to.

Our apartment building comes into sight and I almost sigh in relief for getting out of this awkward situation. I don't trust myself to walk with him for another ten minutes.

We both shuffle into the building stairwell and rub our arms to try and get warm again. No words are exchanged as we begin to climb the stairs. When we get to my floor I stop for a moment and turn to face Peeta. I need to say something otherwise my mind is going to replay this scenario in my head all night.

"I'm sorry," I say.

Peeta is shocked that I spoke. He pauses momentarily and turns to look at me. He is still for a moment before I register just the briefest nod of his head. I give him a sad smile in return before turning and disappearing down the corridor.

* * *

"Surprise!" Prim exclaims.

I'm blinded by her ambush as I open the door. A delicious smell floats through from the kitchen and I hear the sizzling of something in the frying pan. I look at Prim confused and then spot my two best friends, Gale and Johanna, standing behind. Johanna smirks when she sees my brow furrowed in even more confusion.

"What is this?" I ask.

Prim beams at me and bounces a little on her toes.

"We're hosting an anti-Valentine's Day party for you. We didn't want you to get all depressed sitting on your own. You've been so busy lately that we thought we'd do something nice for you," Prim replies.

Johanna smirks at me again and walks round to stand beside my sister.

"What Prim really means is that we're forcing you to take the night off. Kind of like a mini intervention. You're becoming boring," Johanna replies.

"Thanks for the pep talk," I say rolling my eyes. "But I really don't know if I can. New evidence came in today that I need to review. I also need to be in the office early tomorrow."

After my run in with Peeta today I don't feel like being around company right now.

Gale walks over next and hands me a shot of tequila.

"Drink this. From now, every time you mention the case, Madge Undersee or Ryan Mellark you have to do a shot," Gale says.

I shoot a glare at Johanna.

"I guess the shots were your idea," I say to her.

Johanna smiles at me and shakes her head.

"Believe it or not it was your sister that suggested it. She thinks it would be the best way for you to let loose," Johanna replies.

I raise my eyebrows at Prim and she looks at me a little guiltily.

"I just think you need some time out. Everything has been about the case recently and I miss my sister," she says.

My shoulders sag in defeat. With everything going on I haven't made as much time for Prim as I should of. I realise that I miss our girly nights in front of the TV as we gossip about boys and I let Prim paint my nails. One of my biggest flaws is that I can let work take over everything else.

"Don't you all have partners you'd rather spend Valentine's Day with?" I say.

They all shake their heads.

"Leevy's got a really bad cold so told me to get out the apartment so I don't catch it too," Gale says.

"Cressida is away on a business trip. We're celebrating Valentine's Day on Wednesday when she gets back," Johanna says.

"And I promised Thresh I would do anything he wants if we changed our dinner reservation to tomorrow," Prim adds.

I look at them all carefully. They didn't need to change their plans for me and this makes me realise that they are worried about me. Working all hours of the day is not healthy for me. I look down at the shot glass Gale shoved into my hand. With a sigh of defeat, I tip the contents back down my throat. Johanna whoops when I do so and pats a hand on my back.

"That's it, brainless. We'll remind you how to have fun again," she says.

I smile and shake my head at her. Prim claps in delight and Gale gives me a broad smile. I excuse myself to get showered and changed out of my running gear while Prim rushes off to check on the curry she's cooking in the kitchen.

When I come back through Johanna is lining up a tray of shots while Gale sits back in a chair drinking a beer.

"You really think you're going to need that many shots. I can talk about other things than the case," I say.

Johanna turns to me with a grin.

"That's another shot already," she says as she hands me one. "And I don't think this tray will be enough."

I shake my head as I down the new shot. I met Johanna in college. She was the loud and outspoken girl in my first year psychology class and managed to offend nearly every other person in the class. But I liked her brutal honesty and she's whip smart. The two of us will often stay up to the small hours of the morning debating about politics or human rights. The debates get louder the more alcohol we've had.

I go round to sit by Gale. He grins at me as I sit down and hands me a bottle of beer.

"We've got bets on how many shots you'll drink tonight," he says.

I thump him on the arm and he lets out a noise of discomfort before it turns into a laugh. I've always been the one in our group the rest like to tease.

I've known Gale almost my entire life. He grew up in the same small town as Prim and I. Even though he was a couple of years ahead of me at school we bonded over our shared loved of the outdoors and spent every opportunity hiking through the woods and shooting at trees with bow and arrows.

We tried dating when I was in my senior year of high school. I don't think either of us ever really saw each other that way but everyone kind of just expected it so we felt we had a duty to try. Needless to say it didn't work out but we still managed to retain our friendship after it was over.

Prim comes back through carrying a steaming pot of rice and Johanna offers to help her bring through the rest of the meal. Gale and I take our seats at the table while the others place the food down.

"Smells great, Prim," I say.

Prim smiles at me gratefully.

"It's your favourite and I even added extra spice. I know you like things hot," Prim replies.

"And not just her food," Johanna says with a smirk.

"I'm not the one with naked portraits of my girlfriend hanging around my condo," I reply.

Johanna's smile widens.

"My girlfriend is hot as fuck. I want to show her off," she replies.

Gale and Prim shake their heads as everyone starts piling their plates with food.

"I almost forgot," Johanna suddenly says. "We got you a present. We thought you at least deserved a gift on Valentine's Day."

I shoot Gale a worried look.

"I don't think I'm going to like this," I say.

Gale grins.

"Johanna spent a lot of time choosing the best one to buy. It will hurt her feelings if you don't like it," he says.

"I spent such a long time choosing it partly because you were so obviously embarrassed to be in the shop!" Johanna says to Gale.

"You were not exactly being quiet in your decision making!" Gale replies.

Johanna just smiles and shrugs her shoulders and I shake my head.

"Now I'm really worried," I say.

Johanna then hands me the rectangular shaped box. I eye it apprehensively for a moment before deciding to get it over with and rip the paper off. This reveals a box with a picture of a sleek silver vibrator on the front.

"That model is a particular favourite of Cressida's. It can get you to orgasm in three minutes," Johanna says.

I shake my head at her.

"I suppose of all the weird shit you could have bought me this isn't too bad," I reply.

"I have to say I'm a little worried about your health, Katniss. You haven't gotten any since December. That's a pretty long dry spell for you," Johanna says.

"Plenty of people go a lot longer without it," I point out.

"But you normally have a couple of booty calls when things are slow," Gale says.

"It's because she's still pining over Peeta upstairs. She doesn't want to get laid by anyone else," Prim says before she takes a large sip of her wine.

"Prim!" I exclaim, annoyed she mentioned Peeta. "I don't want to fuck Peeta Mellark!"

"That's another shot," Johanna says as she pushes one towards me.

I whip my head round to look at her.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"You mentioned Peeta Mellark, who's related to Ryan Mellark, who was one of the conditions with the shots," Johanna replies.

"That's not fair. Prim was the one who brought him up," I argue.

"Don't care. You know you can't win an argument with me," Johanna says.

I sigh and accept the shot off her. I grimace as I put the empty glass back down.

"You're wrong, Prim. I've come to terms with the fact nothing more is going to happen and don't think of him like that anymore," I say.

Johanna pushes another shot glass at me for mentioning Peeta again and I shallow it without argument as I look at Prim. Prim snorts and shakes her head.

"Only because you fill your head with work so there is no room left to think about him. I don't think I've ever seen you so hung up over a guy," Prim says.

"Hey, give Katniss a break. We always want the things we can't have. The fact Peeta is off limits just makes him even more desirable," Gale says.

"I don't want him," I reply.

Another shot is passed my way. But they don't push me any further and the conversation soon turns to the fact Gale has started to look at engagement rings for Leevy. I try to stay present in the conversation but my traitorous mind has already gone to thoughts about Peeta. It annoys me that my friends have read me so easily.

The rest of the evening ends up being really enjoyable. I drink quite a few more shots as I mention the case again but this just makes the game of Cards Against Humanity even more entertaining. We all knew Johanna had a filthy mind but it is Prim who is surprisingly immoral and she ends up wiping the floor with us.

By the time Gale and Johanna leave I've had enough alcohol to find absolutely everything hilarious. I say goodbye to them with a laugh before helping Prim tidy up and then stumbling into my room. I throw the vibrator box down on the bed and begin to get undressed. As I am doing so I hear a thump and then heavy footsteps coming from the room up above. All the apartments have the same layout in this building and I can guess that Peeta is in his room getting ready for bed too.

I collapse onto my bed, naked, and stare up at the ceiling. I imagine Peeta wandering about his bedroom, stripping out of his clothes and getting under the sheets. I wonder if he wears anything in bed or sleeps completely nude like some of my ex-boyfriends. A pang of longing hits me in the chest and I squirm on top of the bed sheets. I run my hands over the covers and one hits the box with the vibrator in it. I suddenly become very aware of the dampness between my legs.

I know I shouldn't. I know it is wrong. I know it is going to make it even harder to forget about him. But my mind is so full of alcohol that I can't stop myself thinking what it would be like if I was up there with Peeta.

I grasp the box greedily in my hand and don't even pretend that I'm not thinking about him as I open it and slip the vibrator between my legs.

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, Katniss is in a lot of denial at the moment. Things are certainly not going to get easier any time soon.**

 **I hope you are still enjoying it as more details about the murder are teased. However it's still going to be a long time before we get a clear picture.**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

I waddle down the staircase in my apartment building. My arms are filled with files and notes and I struggle to walk with the weight of it all. I tuck some files under my chin so that I can reach out for the door handle. However, the files begin to wobble in my arms and as soon as I've opened the door they tumble out of my arms and spill out onto the sidewalk.

"Shit," I exclaim.

I bend down to try and scoop up the files but more just end up falling out my arms. I let out an exasperated sigh. This day couldn't have got off to a worst start.

"Miss Everdeen? Can I speak with you for a moment?" a male voice says.

I was wrong. This day could get worse.

I finally regather all my things and look up at the man who addressed me. I recognise him immediately. Brutus Jenkins is a smarmy journalist known for his less than moral ways to scoop a story.

"Sorry. I don't have the time," I say.

I avoid eye contact and try to move past him but he just steps into my path and holds his digital recorder in front of my face.

"This will only take a few minutes. I just want to ask you about the article published by Rue Adams yesterday. Will you be using Andrew Marvel as a witness?" Brutus asks.

I shake my head fiercely at him.

"I don't appreciate being bombarded at my home. If you have any questions you need to speak to our press office just like everyone else. Goodbye," I reply sharply.

Brutus opens his mouth to press me further but I don't even give him a second glance as I barge past him and jump into my car. I try to keep my anger in check as I drive away. I don't want Brutus to put me off for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately encounters like this are becoming more common. Madge's murder is the biggest news in Panem right now. Every news channel and newspaper report on it like this is the World's best soap opera. As assistant defence attorney in this case, I've suddenly been thrust into the limelight. Reporters call my cell phone at all hours of the day and one even tried to accost Prim at the hospital in an effort to get more information. I'm recognised by strangers in the street and the grocery store and everyone feels the need to give me their two cents on the case.

This is the first time a reporter has come to my apartment though. And it worries me. What if they see Peeta leaving the building too? The Mellarks have been put under just as intense scrutiny by the press as we have at the DA office. Though the attention towards them is a lot more aggressive than what we've received. A brick got thrown through Ryan's parents' house only last week. It wouldn't take a lot of work to figure out Peeta lived here too and I fear all hell would break loose if this ever came to light.

I'm not in the best mood as a result when I get into the office and feel flustered after my encounter with Brutus. Thankfully it's still early and the office is almost silent. I throw my bags down onto my desk and bang my fist against it to try and rid some of my frustration. Coin pops her head round a moment later and gives me a knowing smile.

"Bad morning?" she asks. I slump down on my chair as I nod my head. "I find coffee is the best thing to get over a disappointing start. Come to my office. I have a coffee machine so you don't have to taste the shitty stuff that comes out of the staffroom."

I nod my head in agreement before pulling my body off the chair and traipsing through to Coin's office. She gestures for me to sit when I enter and then quickly gets to work with the coffee machine. A couple of minutes later a steaming cup of cappuccino is settled into my hands. Coin makes one for herself before sitting down opposite me. I take a greedy sip and then swear as I burn my tongue. Coin chuckles as she reaches over to hand me a napkin.

"Jesus, Katniss. It's only 7 o'clock. Your morning must have been bad," Coin says.

"Brutus Jenkins was on my doorstep. He was asking about Andrew Marvel," I reply.

Coin raises her eyebrows and then nods her head.

"I don't think I told you yesterday what a good job you did getting Rue to interview him. Those text messages are going to convince the jury that Ryan is an aggressive person," Coin says.

I nod my head in agreement. Rue's investigation into Marvel proved to be very useful to us. It turns out he has an alibi. Dozens of people can place him at some swanky awards dinner his office put on and he was more than happy to share with Rue his relationship with Madge and voice his dislike for Ryan Mellark.

He retold a story about the first time he met Ryan. Ryan and Madge had been dating for three months by this point and bumped into Marvel at some bar in town. Apparently Marvel caught Ryan flirting with another girl and when Marvel confronted Ryan about it a fight between the two broke out. We already had the police files telling us about a night both men got escorted off the premises of a bar to collaborate this story. Though Ryan Mellark definitely came out worse in the fight with three broken ribs and a very black eye.

But the most damning evidence Marvel provided was the text messages he received from Ryan the week leading up to Madge's murder. Ryan wasn't happy that Marvel had gotten back in touch with Madge and the messages portray Ryan as a very aggressive and possessive fiancé.

 _You better fucking leave Madge alone_

 _She doesn't love you anymore. When are you going to get that through your fucking head?_

 _She's my fiancée now_

 _If you come near her again I'm going to kick your fucking head in_

 _It would be my greatest pleasure to watch you suffer_

 _No one would care if you were gone. Madge least of all_

None of this is going to help Ryan's case.

Coin finishes her coffee and leans back in her chair. A slow smile spreads across her face.

"Public opinion of Ryan Mellark is at an all-time low. We just have to keep up this momentum until the trial in August," she says.

"I've never been involved in a case this big. I'm not used to the jury knowing so much before they even step foot in a courtroom. It almost doesn't seem fair to Ryan Mellark," I say.

Coin shrugs her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter if the jury know that before the trial. As long as he's convicted," Coin replies.

I'm surprised by her cold tone. I may work hard to put the bad guys away but I do believe that everyone should get a fair trial. Otherwise our whole justice system falls apart.

Coin's phone begins ringing on her desk. She leans forward to answer it. Immediately I can hear an angry male voice shouting down the other end. Coin rolls her eyes at me before putting the phone on speaker. She mouths the name Abernathy at me and I nod my head in understanding.

"How lovely for you to call me so early in the morning, Haymitch. How many whiskeys have you had already today?" she asks.

"Fuck you, Coin. Your mind games don't work on me," Haymitch replies.

Coin smiles at me and shakes her head.

"You seem rather shaken this morning," she replies.

"I'm tired of you slandering my client. I know it was your office that put Rue Adams on the Andrew Marvel story. It's no secret that she and Everdeen are close," Haymitch says.

"Like you've never used a journalist to help your case," I cut in. "And it turns out I had every right to push her in his direction. Your client has quite a temper."

"So I'm on speaker then?" Haymitch asks. "It's always a pleasure to hear you speak, sweetheart. Have you finally moved to live permanently up Coin's ass?"

I scowl and open my mouth to say something cutting back but Coin cuts me off.

"I think that's enough with the insults, Haymitch. And it's not slander if it's the truth," she says.

"Bullshit. That is one side of the story. Marvel never saw Ryan flirting with another girl. He beat him up because he was jealous Madge wouldn't pay him any more attention. And don't even get me started on the way he was harassing Madge just before she died. Those texts make a lot more sense if you knew," Haymitch replies.

I've never seen Haymitch this defensive over a client before. He almost sounds emotional. Like he actually cares about Ryan.

"Andrew Marvel is a heap of lies and you would be a fool to put him on the witness stand," he adds.

"Oh my God. You actually believe Ryan is innocent," Coin says.

"I've represented enough murderers and psychos to recognise one and Ryan Mellark is neither. All you evidence is circumstantial at best," he replies.

"Ha!" Coin barks out. "So the body and murder weapon found at his house and place of work is circumstantial? What about the fact his DNA was found in her car and on the sword? You know you are on a losing case."

"You're going to embarrass yourself with this case. I'm sorry, Everdeen, that she's dragging you down with you. You are one of the few DAs that I respect," Haymitch says.

And with that he cuts off and hangs up the phone. Coin laughs as she leans back into her chair.

"We've got them on the ropes. Abernathy wouldn't have called us if he wasn't shitting his pants," she says.

I nod my head but there is something nagging at the back of my head. I've had the same feeling throughout the whole case and no matter how much evidence keeps popping up I never quite shake it. Haymitch's call has only caused the nagging feeling to grow.

"Why do you think Abernathy thinks he's innocent?" I ask.

At the very beginning I thought it absurd for anyone to think Ryan was innocent but it doesn't seem so strange anymore. I'm just trying to work out why.

Coin shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly before swivelling in her chair and pulling a file down.

"Maybe all that alcohol has finally scrambled his brain. Maybe he's getting soft in his old age. Maybe he has a thing for blond hair and blue eyes. It doesn't matter. It will only work in our advantage. The jury will just see Abernathy as a fool and won't take anything he says seriously," Coin replies.

I nod my head but don't really agree with her. If anything, believing Ryan is innocent will just further determine Haymitch. I fear what passionate testimony he'll share in the courtroom.

Coin decides the conversation is over and opens the file in front of her. It wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't think about Haymitch for the rest of the day. I thank her for the coffee and get up to leave. The nagging feeling at the back of my head is more present than ever.

* * *

By the time I get home darkness has well and truly taken over this brisk March night. I'm exhausted and all I want to do it have yesterday's leftover lasagne and a long hot bubble bath. Prim is working night shifts this week so I turn on the TV to stop the apartment feeling so empty. My sister did leave a smiley face Post-it on the microwave which makes me smile as I tuck into my meal. The lure of a hot bath makes me finish the lasagne quickly.

I find a trashy magazine of Prim's and wrap a towel round my body as I head to the bathroom. I just want at least an hour where I don't have to think about work or Madge Undersee. But when I step into the bathroom I feel something dripping on my head. I look up at the ceiling confused and groan when I see a leaking large bubble in the ceiling paper. This happened before with the previous tenant in the apartment above. The plumbing was put in by a dubious man in a white van and pipes have been known to burst in the apartment above and leak into our own one.

The leak annoys me for two reasons. First because I won't be able to enjoy my long hot bath and second it means that I have to go and talk to Peeta. I have to let him know his plumbing is leaking.

I let out a dispirited sigh, leave the magazine by the sink and go to my bedroom to put on some clothes. I take a quick picture of the bubble of water in my ceiling on my phone and slowly traipse up the stairs to knock on Peeta's door.

I haven't seen him since our run in at the park and I have been eternally grateful for that. I'm not sure how I can look him in the eye after masturbating to the thought of him. And it keeps happening. On the odd occasion I have used Johanna's vibrator to try and relieve some of my stress it is always Peeta's strong arms and blue eyes that I end up imagining.

I pause in front of his door and swing my arms by my side.

"Get it together, Everdeen," I mutter to myself. "You've faced psychotic murderers and rapists in the courtroom. You shouldn't be scared to speak to Peeta Mellark."

I take a deep breath and raise my hand to the door. My hand hovers by the door for just a second before I shake my head and find the courage to knock. I rap on the door three times and then step back, waiting for him to answer.

I hear some rustling from behind the door and a moment later Peeta answers. He recoils at the sight of me and I force myself to keep looking at his face as I fumble for my phone and shove the screen in front of him.

"Something in your bathroom is leaking. It caused water to drip into our apartment," I say.

I cringe when I hear the sharp tone of my voice. I didn't even say hello. But there is something about Peeta that makes me forget how to talk like a normal human being.

Peeta peers at my phone and realisation over my abrupt appearance dawns on his face. He runs a hand through his blond curls and steps aside to let me in.

"Ah, shit. I'm sorry about that. I didn't realise. I'll just go and check it out and turn the water off. You can wait here," he says.

I nod my head lamely before he turns and dashes towards the bathroom. I tentatively take a step into his living room and my eyes begin scanning the surroundings.

I never saw his apartment in the brief time we were dating and now I'm inside I'm curious about the person Peeta Mellark is. The décor is quite masculine with dark furnishings and leather couches. But there are photos everywhere. They line every available surface and hang on the walls. I spy pictures of Peeta with his brothers at football games and him standing on top of mountains. They make me itch to get out to the woods again.

Many of the photos show images of his family and it's clear that the family are very close. So many involve various member of his family laughing with their arms around each other. But it is a picture of Madge and Ryan captures my attention. They have their arms wrapped around each other and medals round their necks after they completed some marathon. I stare at the picture for a long time as I note how alive Madge Undersee looks. Her eyes face the camera but Ryan's are trained on her. He looks like a man very much in love in this picture. It's hard to think that the man in the picture could turn into a cold blooded murderer.

Eventually I have to stop looking at the picture. It makes me too uncomfortable and sad. I turn my attention to the other photos in the room. Alongside the family photos are some of buildings. Some I recognise, like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but others are beautifully crafted buildings I know nothing about. My eyes are drawn to a large image of a building that rests on an easel. I gravitate towards it and realise that the image is computer generated. The building looks like it could be made from sandstone and has large glass windows. The style of the building is quite traditional and reminds me of old English manor houses that you find in Jane Austen novels. As I look closely I notice that the archways above the windows include carvings of flowers, fairies and woodland creatures. I'm so enthralled by the intricate work in front of me that I don't hear Peeta come back in.

"I think the leak is coming from the shower. I've turned the water off and called the emergency plumber. I'll pay for any damage done to your property," he says.

I jump when I hear his voice and look round guiltily. I didn't want to be caught staring at his things.

"Thank you," I reply, my eyes trained on the ground.

Peeta smiles at me and then seems to realise what I was looking at.

"Do you like my design then? I'm pitching for the contract for the new Panem library on Friday. I'm such a perfectionist though. I'll be making changes right up until the last minute of my presentation," he says.

I snap my head up to look at him. With everything going on I forgot he was an architect. And I'm surprised he's trying to have a normal conversation with me. He didn't seem overly willing to converse the last time we met.

"I think it's beautiful. I'm normally in too much of a rush to pay much attention to buildings but I like the look of this one," I reply, turning back to look at the picture.

Peeta smiles at me again and walks up beside me. We stand side by side as we look at the building together.

"I know the other designers pitching are going for more modern looks with a lot more glass and hard edges but what is that building going to look like in fifty years' time? So many of my favourite buildings were built centuries ago. I want to make something that people admire for years to come," he says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"It'd get my vote," I say. "I love the designs over the windows."

I lean forward to run my hand over them and Peeta smiles proudly.

"Each archway has characters from different famous novels. This one here is _The Jungle Book_. And this one is _Treasure Island_. My favourite is _Alice in Wonderland_ ," he says, pointing to each one in turn.

I become even more amazed by him as I spot the White Rabbit with his watch and the Mad Hatter at his tea party.

Peeta pulls his hand back and stuffs it in his pockets.

"If I got it, it would be the biggest contract of my career. I might actually be able to start up my own architect firm with the pay check," he says.

I turn to him with a soft smile.

"I can't wait to walk into this building," I say.

I may not know a lot about architecture but this building is remarkable. They will have to give Peeta the contract. Peeta smiles back at me and we share a moment of quiet. A warm feeling spreads throughout my body and helps keep the smile on my face.

Eventually I look away and turn to leave.

"I should get going. Thanks for sorting out the leak," I say.

I turn my back to Peeta. When I look at him too long the warm feeling intensifies and makes we want things I can't have. I'm walking myself towards the door when Peeta's voice calls out, stopping me.

"You don't have to go," he says.

I stop in my tracks and slowly turn round to face him. Surely he knows that my staying is not a good idea. He must see my apprehension because he explains himself quickly.

"I'm sorry. I must be confusing you with my swings in mood. But I know you are just doing your job and I can't hate you for that," he says.

He then takes a breath before speaking again.

"And you're the only person that won't ask me about Ryan. I just want one hour where I don't have to talk about him," he says.

My heart breaks for him. I notice the exhaustion in his eyes but they also plead with me to stay. And the fucked up thing is that I can relate to him. My whole life has become this case and I'm tired of talking about it with everyone. One hour off from it sounds so nice.

"Sure," I say. "I can stay for a little bit."

A relieved smile crosses Peeta's face and he moves in the living room to clear some space for me to sit on the couch.

"I was planning starting the latest Marvel TV show on Netflix. Do you happen to like superheroes?" he asks.

I smile broadly at him as I walk back towards him. Peeta settles into one end of the couch and I sit at the other.

"I have a pretty good knowledge. My best friend, Gale, loved comics growing up and dragged me along to the movies once Disney Marvel started making good movies. Though our friendship nearly ended after we picked different sides in the last Captain America film," I reply.

"Let me guess. You were Team Cap," Peeta says.

"How did you know?" I ask.

"I think Captain America's biceps in the helicopter scene convinced most females to be on his team," Peeta says with a grin.

"I'm not that shallow," I reply with a smile.

Peeta shakes his head at me as he pulls up Netflix on his TV.

"Well, I am. Black Widow was the main reason I was Team Iron Man," he says.

I laugh and settle further back into the couch. The TV show soon starts playing as we discuss what we think will happen next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It surprises me just how quickly we forget about Madge and Ryan and fall back to talking like two normal people.

* * *

Three episodes later we've gravitated closer together on the couch. Our shoulders lightly brush together as we sink back into the cushions. I've spent the last couple of hours laughing more than I have in months.

"I can't believe you got told to mime in the school choir! You can't be that bad," I exclaim.

Peeta grins as he tips his head to the side.

"I believe I was described as sounding like a goat trying to take a big shit," he replies. "I only joined to impress the girl I had a crush on. That failed spectacularly."

I laugh again and shake my head.

"Since you find my sad story so amusing, can I take it that you are not tone deaf like me?" Peeta says.

I sit up and puff out my chest proudly.

"I was lead soloist in my school choir," I say. "Some people say I can make the birds stop to listen."

"Well, look at you. Though some would say arrogance is a turn off," Peeta points out.

I laugh again but this chat is bordering on dangerous territory. We've both tried very hard to keep the conversation between us friendly and not flirty. But comments like that push the line.

"Good thing I'm not trying to impress you," I reply.

Peeta smiles at me and silence falls between us. I'm very conscious that neither of us look away but I find that I don't want to. I like looking at his face and his kind blue eyes. There is this invisible pull that keeps drawing me back to Peeta clears his throat to speak.

"I dreamt about doing things like this with you," he says.

My heart stops at his words. I turn away, not wanting to have this conversation.

"What? Listening to me tease you?" I say.

"Sometimes. Yeah," he says. "But mostly I just imagined spending cosy nights in with you like this. Back in January I hoped that by now I would be calling you my girlfriend."

My heart drops. If this evening has taught me anything it is just how easy it would be to be Peeta's girlfriend. We get on so well and his smile warms me in a way no one else's can. I know I should stop this conversation now but I find that I am curious to discover the life Peeta imagined for us.

"You'd have had to bake me a lot more baked goods to get me to agree to that," I say.

Peeta laughs.

"Oh, I know. You would have made me work for it. But I had such big plans for you. On our second date I was going to take you to an archery range so you could show off your skills and then have your hands all over me as you taught me how to shoot," he says.

I roll my eyes but Peeta's stare keeps my eyes pinned on him.

"And then for our third date I would take you to the surgeon's museum because it is my favourite building in Panem. By date four I'd be hoping for you to stay over so I'd cook you a homemade meal and make you dance to Sinatra in the kitchen," he carries on.

"You probably wouldn't want to sleep with me after seeing my dance moves," I reply.

Peeta laughs and I let myself grin too. It's nice to pretend for a few moments.

"They all sound nice," I admit. "But the only thing I would have cared about was spending time with you."

We both grow solemn. The weight of my words become heavy between us.

For the first time I admit I want to be Peeta's girlfriend.

* * *

 **A/N: I know Peeta is a little confusing in this chapter and seems to have done a 180 on his opinions on Katniss but bear in mind that he is pretty confused and lonely himself. They both feel some pull towards each other even though they know they shouldn't. I think by this point Peeta just wants to feel normal even if that is talking to the girl he liked.**

 **Thanks to everyone that has followed/favourited/reviewed this story so far. You're feedback has been great.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

I sigh as I cross my arms and watch Gale while he bends down to look in the glass cabinet.

"Do you think I should go for a princess cut ring or do you think Leevy would prefer a brilliant cut one?" Gale asks.

He straightens up and I give him an incredulous look.

"How do you even know the difference?" I reply.

Gale smiles and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"I've been looking at rings for the last six weeks. Leevy is hopefully going to wear this ring for the rest of her life. I need to get it right," he says.

I smile back at him. Gale has been besotted with Leevy ever since he met her after crashing my law school graduation. Leevy was a good friend of mine while we studied together. Gale bombarded me with phone calls and text messages to find out everything he could about her. Whenever I want something from him I just remind him that it was me that introduced him to the love of his life.

And now he's found the courage to propose. But he's been surprisingly picky when it's come to choosing the ring.

"I don't even know why you brought me along. You know diamonds scare me a little," I say.

"My brothers live out of town and Posy has got a big test she needs to revise for. Prim would have been my first choice but she has babies to deliver. Johanna's snarky comments would be worse than your lack of jewellery knowledge," Gale replies.

"So basically no one else was free on their lunch break and I'm your last choice," I say.

"Yep," Gale grins at me.

I shake my head at him as he moves to another cabinet. I follow him but all the rings look the same to me.

"I thought it would be educational for you. You never know, one day a guy might want to buy you one of these things. It might help him if you knew what you liked," Gale adds.

I snort as I pick at my nails.

"The only guy that has shown me any interest in the last three months has a brother I'm putting on trial," I reply.

Gale straightens up to look at me.

"You've not been spending more Netflix nights with him, have you?" he asks.

I shake my head.

"Prim thinks I was stupid for even having that one night. Thinks it is opening a whole can of worms," I sigh.

Gale gives me a sympathetic smile.

"I wish things were different. I wish Ryan didn't kill Madge Undersee. I wish I could on dates with Peeta and snuggle together on the couch," I say.

I'm frustrated with myself for feeling this way. I'm not normally like this.

"But it's crazy to still want those things from him. We went on one date," I add.

"When you meet someone special all logic escapes. I told Leevy I loved her on our third date. I had never said that to anyone before, not even Enobaria, and I dated her for a year!" Gale responds. "It sucks that the first guy you feel a real connection with has a brother you are prosecuting."

I nod my head.

"Johanna calls us star crossed lovers," I reply.

Gale barks out a laugh and shakes his head.

"I knew Johanna was a softie at heart," Gale says.

I smile back before turning to look at the cabinet of rings.

"She watches more romantic comedies than she likes to admit," I reply.

Gale smiles and turns to look at the cabinet as well. We're both silent as we scan the rows of rings. After a while Gale sighs and stuffs his hands back in in his pockets.

"This is useless. I've been to every jewellery store in Panem and can't find the right ring," he says.

"Why don't you get one custom made? I know you make a bomb with the engineering company. You can afford it," I suggest.

A grin spreads across Gale's face.

"I knew bringing you here wouldn't be a waste of time," he replies.

I shrug my shoulder nonchalantly.

"I've always been the clever one in our group," I say with a grin.

Gale laughs before grabbing the attention of one of the jewellers in the store and inquiring about the possibility of a custom made ring.

I'm happy for my friend as I watch him talk with the jeweller but am also a little jealous. He's found the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. And apart from the odd big argument their relationship has been straightforward. If only my relationships were that simple.

* * *

Gale is excited when we leave the shop and eagerly rushes back to work with some rough ideas in his back pocket. I return back to the office with a mountain of paperwork waiting for me. However, when I get back in Delly greets me with a smile and a message.

"Mrs Flanagan arrived early. She's got a doctor's appointment later and was wondering if she could meet with you now," Delly says.

Mags Flanagan is the eighty-year-old neighbour of Madge Undersee. She was next door the day of Madge's murder and heard an argument between Madge and Ryan. I was supposed to meet her later today to begin prepping her for trail. She will be a key witness on the stand.

"I can see her now. The paper work can wait an hour," I reply.

Delly smiles at me and then shows me to the room with Mrs Flanagan. The old lady is peering at an out of date magazine and has a cup of tea beside her. Delly leaves us and I greet Mrs Flanagan with a smile.

"Mrs Flanagan, I'm glad you could come down today," I say as I shake her hand.

She gives me a kind smile and I take the seat beside her. The wrinkles are deep set in her face but her grey hair is still thick and tied in a neat bun. She puts the magazine down and shuffles round to face me properly.

"I hope I'm not being a nuisance by coming early. It's just my arthritis is playing up and the only appointment I could get with the doctor was later this afternoon," she says.

"It's not a problem. You are helping me delay paperwork so I'm not complaining. Just let me get the right file," I reply.

Mrs Flanagan nods her head and watches me as I get up for the file. I come back a moment later and sit back down.

"Are you still sure you want to be put on the stand?" I ask.

Mrs Flanagan nods her head.

"If it will help get justice for Madge, then I will. She was such a sweet girl. She always brought my mail up for me. In the spring she would pick me fresh flowers for my window sill," she replies.

I nod my head as I open the file.

"Well I'm working hard to get her that justice. I'll meet with you a few time before the trial. We'll go over the questions I'll ask you on the stand and mock some of the questions the defence may ask. I'll warn you that they could get tough," I say.

Mrs Flanagan smiles at me.

"You don't get to eighty years old without having a thick skin," she replies.

I smile. I like her. She may look frail but she can clearly handle herself.

"Mr Abernathy better watch out then," I say with a grin. I pause briefly to get to the right page in the file. "I'll start with some background information. Can you describe your relationship with Madge?"

Mrs Flanagan smiles and pauses before answering.

"I first met Madge just over five years ago. She moved into the apartment next to mine and didn't waste much time before she introduced herself. She was one of the friendliest and kindest people I knew. I could call her to ask her to pick up some milk for me whenever my joints got too sore. She even drove me to the hospital for my hip operation," Mrs Flanagan says.

I smile and nod my head as I scribble some notes.

"So you saw each other often?" I ask.

Mrs Flanagan nods her head and takes a sip of her tea.

"Madge would come round for tea at least once a week. With my children moving away I liked the company. And she would often ask for my advice on issues that came up in her life," Mrs Flanagan replies.

"What were these issues?" I ask.

"Sometimes her boss, Seneca Crane. He wasn't the most honourable man. But mainly Ryan," Mrs Flanagan admits. "They fought a lot and Madge would often come to mine to complain about him."

"What did they fight about?"

"Lots of small things. Ryan was very independent and I gathered he had never had a serious relationship before Madge. He didn't really know how to be a boyfriend. It made Madge mad when he'd make plans without consulting her. And he was a terrible flirt. He even flirted with me when we met in the hallways! I don't think he even realised he did it but it frustrated Madge greatly," she explains.

I nod my head in understanding. I've come across types like Ryan Mellark before. The arrogant man that loves himself more than anyone else. It's not a person I can take a liking too.

"Though Madge wasn't entirely innocent in their fights," Mrs Flanagan continues. "She was a perfectionist and wanted everything in her life to be perfect. That included Ryan. She would over step the boundaries in her quest to make him her perfect man. She was desperate to get him into politics. One of the worst fights I heard about was when she filled in an application for a job working in the government behind his back."

I shake my head.

"I don't understand why couples like that stay together," I say.

Mrs Flanagan smiles at me.

"I think they used all the fighting as…, what do you young people call it?" Mrs Flanagan says. She pauses for a moment as she tries to remember the word. "Foreplay!"

I laugh and shake my head. Mrs Flanagan grins back at me.

"Their fights were mainly superficial. And they always made up. She really did love him. He made her relax more and stopped her stressing so much about life. I thought he loved her too," she says sadly.

Mrs Flanagan looks down at the cup of tea. When she looks back up her eyes are a little misty. I reach over to place my hand over hers.

"We can stop at any time," I say.

Mrs Flanagan takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

"No. I don't want to stop. This will help Madge," she says.

I smile kindly at her before moving on to my next question.

"Did she talk to you about the fight she and Ryan had the week of her murder?" I ask.

Mrs Flanagan nods her head.

"She came to me on the Monday. It was obvious she had been crying. She told me there were photos of Ryan with strippers at his bachelor party. She said one of them showed a girl with her hand down his pants. He had apparently told her she couldn't be mad since she had a stripper at her bachelorette party," Mrs Flanagan replies.

I shake my head before carrying on.

"Did you see Ryan at all that week?"

"No. They often went a few days without speaking after a big fight. But I saw Madge the day she died. They had another fight over the phone that morning but I managed to calm her down. She seemed a lot more positive after our chat and was planning to call Ryan later that night. She wanted to sort things out."

I shake my head. That phone call would prove to be very costly.

"Where were you the evening of the murder?"

"At home. I had gone to bed with my book," she says.

"And what happened then?" I ask.

"I heard voices. My bedroom shares a wall with Madge's living room. They were quiet at first but they got louder," she replies.

"Could you make out what the voices were saying?"

"Most of it was muffled but I did hear Madge declare "Get away from me! I don't love you!". There was also a male voice. He screamed back "Don't be a tease! I've given you everything!"," Mrs Flanagan says.

"Was it Ryan's voice?" I ask.

"I would be about 80% sure," she replies.

I nod my head and make some notes.

"And can you remember what time this was?" I ask.

"The shouting started at around 9.30. I remember because that is the time I normally I turn the lights off and go to sleep," she says.

"Did you hear anything else?" I ask.

Mrs Flanagan shakes her head regretfully.

"No. They moved out the living room. I assumed that either Ryan had left or all the fighting led them to making up in her bedroom. I never dreamed he would end up killing her," she says.

Mrs Flanagan's head drops and I reach out to place a comforting hand on her arm.

"It's always hard to tell what men like Ryan Mellark are capable of," I say.

Mrs Flanagan gives me a watery smile.

"Madge would have liked you. You're kind just like her," she replies.

I keep my hand on Mrs Flanagan's arm and give it another reassuring squeeze before offering her more tea.

* * *

I take a mountain of paperwork home with me. I aim to complete the paper work after I have gone for a run. The talk with Mrs Flanagan drained me. She clearly cared a lot about Madge and it is never easy to speak with people that are grieving. I know Coin would reprimand me for getting so emotionally involved.

Dark clouds begin to march across the sky as I leave my apartment but I don't bother taking anything to cover up. Spring showers have been frequent this month but this week Panem has managed to avoid them.

I avoid the park entirely as I set out and instead opt to run the streets. I block out everything around me as I run. The music in my ears is enough to distract me from thoughts of the case. But after only fifteen minutes I feel the first drop of rain on my head. It starts off spitting but soon the heavens open and it becomes a full on down pour. I'm soaked and shivering within thirty seconds. I know there is a coffee shop just up ahead and I aim for there. I have some money for a hot drink and I can hopefully hide out there until the shower has passed.

Many other people have the same idea as me though and I have to squeeze through the door. There isn't a part of me that isn't wet when I enter. I shake out my soggy limbs before looking up to survey the room. I freeze when I catch sight of a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"The universe must hate me," I mutter to myself.

Peeta must hear me say something because he quirks his head to the side and then takes a step towards me. He's a lot drier than me and at least had the sense to bring a hoodie with him on his run. The designer running gear still annoys me but I am slightly jealous of how warm he looks.

"Seems like our plan to avoid each other isn't working," Peeta says with a smile.

I smile in reply but goosebumps rise up on my skin and I begin to shake from the cold. I wrap my arms around myself to try and warm up. Peeta sees me shivering and concern crosses his face. He takes off his hoodie and offers it to me.

"You're freezing," he states. "Wear my hoodie. It's at least dry."

I shake my head.

"But you'll get cold," I reply.

"Katniss," Peeta says firmly, "Take the hoodie. I'm dry and I'm not about to let you catch hypothermia."

He then takes another step towards me and wraps the hoodie around my arms. He reaches down to do up the zipper and I have to catch my breath as his body lightly brushes mine. Peeta holds my gaze as he steps even closer and begins rubbing the heat back into my arms. He smells of fresh air and I gulp when his hands skim a particularly sensitive spot on my body.

My head screams at me to remove myself from this situation but Peeta has got me under some sort of spell. I'm powerless to move and look anywhere else but at him.

"You don't have to be this nice to me," I say instead. "You have every right to hate me."

Peeta stills his hands but doesn't put any distance between us.

"I did hate you for a while. But I've never been good at hating people. And I already told you that I realise you are just doing your job," he replies.

I smile sadly at him. It would be so much easier if he was easier to hate.

I step away from him, not wanting to drag up the case, and an awkward silence falls between us. A chirpy blonde waitress comes over and asks if we want a table. I ask for two separate tables but the waitress says they are too busy to sit singles. Peeta turns to look at me.

"It can't be that bad to sit with me. It doesn't look like the rain is going to stop anytime soon," he says.

I chew my bottom lip as I contemplate my options. I look around the bustling room and realise that no one is leaving in a hurry.

"Okay. But let me pay for your coffee. It can be payment for the hoodie," I say.

Peeta grins and nods his head. The waitress smiles at us and takes us to a small table in the corner. Peeta and I have to squish beside each other. The waitress smiles brightly at Peeta and bends down so her chest is near his face. She doesn't even bother to look at me as she hands us our menus.

"Our soup today is carrot and coriander and our selection of cakes are on display over there. Personally I would recommend the red velvet cake. It has a seductive quality to it," the waitress says.

She holds Peeta's eye for just that moment too long and I can't help but let out a laugh after she walks away. Peeta turns to me with a quizzical look.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

"That waitress clearly has the hots for you. She's particularly undressing you with her eyes," I reply.

Peeta turns to look in the direction of the waitress and unsurprisingly her eyes are still trained on him. But he shakes his head as he turns back to me.

"She's just being an attentive waitress," he says.

I laugh at his naivety.

"Really?" I say. I then lean in to whisper in his ear. "Watch her freak out as I do this."

I keep close to Peeta as I place one hand on his thigh and then reach the other out to tangle my fingers with his. Peeta's fingers instinctively curl around mine and he runs his thumb over my knuckles. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I shiver, but this time not from the cold.

I look up to see Peeta staring at me intently and my heart stops for a second.

I only meant to do this to prove a point, while also freaking the waitress out, but I'm freaking out myself more than anyone.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the waitress huff before turning round and storming off to the kitchen. I want to revel in my victory but the feeling of Peeta's thumb running over my knuckles is too distracting. I suddenly realise that my hand has started to run up and down his thigh without me even realising it.

Peeta smiles at me and then it is his turn to lean in and whisper in my ear.

"I think you just want an excuse to touch me," he says with a smile.

His comment is enough to jerk me to my senses and I pull my hands back and shuffle as far away as I can from him. Peeta chuckles but I notice he shifts about uncomfortably on his chair. At least I wasn't the only one that got flustered.

"You didn't tell me to stop," I reply.

Peeta smiles again and shakes his head.

"I must have done something pretty bad in a previous life. It's unfair that the woman I find incredibly attractive is the one person I can't have," he says.

I blush and look down at my hands.

"You're being very honest today," I reply.

"I'm tired of trying to pussy foot around you. I like you. There is no point denying that," he says.

"But it doesn't change anything," I say.

"No. But I'm a strong believer it's better to be honest than lying to yourself. Tell me honestly, did ignoring me and pretending I didn't exist really make you feel better about it?" he asks.

"No," I admit.

We hold each other's stare until the waitress comes back to take our orders. Her sharp tone doesn't go unnoticed by me. Peeta notices too because he smiles at me when she leaves.

"Okay. I think you were right about the waitress. The daggers she is giving you are very telling," he says.

I pull my head back and smile at him.

"She's probably going to spit in my tea," I reply.

Peeta chuckles and relaxes back into his chair. I smile back at him before enquiring about the library pitch he had last week. He smiles proudly as he tells me he got it and talks animatedly about the project. I sit and listen to him, drinking in very last word he says.

* * *

Eventually the rain clears and we head back to our apartment building. I still have all that paperwork waiting for me at home but the prospect of spending a few more moments talking to Peeta is a lot more appealing. I slow my steps to prolong my time with him. But eventually we end up at my door.

"I can't believe you just spoiled the last episode for me! I won't be trusting you with my secrets any time soon," I declare as we come to a stop.

Peeta chuckles as he scratches the back of his neck.

"Mom always knew to come to me whenever me or my brothers did something naughty. She knew I would rat anyone out," he replies.

I smile and shake my head at him. I get out my keys but am in no rush to put them in the lock.

"Thanks for keeping me company during the rain," I say.

"You're not exactly bad company," he replies with a smile.

He steps forward and reaches out a hand. I suck in a breath as he holds my gaze and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Goodnight, Katniss," he says softly.

He drops his hand from my face and I immediately miss his warmth. Still holding my gaze, he picks up my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles. He smiles one last time before letting go of my hand and turning to walk up the stairs.

I stand frozen for a moment in the hallway before I fumble with my keys and try to open my door. I practically fall into my apartment and realise a cold shower is probably the best thing I could have right now. I wander into my bedroom, still in a bit of a daze, and begin to undress. As I am doing this, I realise that I still have Peeta's hoodie.

I curse myself for forgetting to give it to him earlier and scoop it off the floor. I rearrange my clothes and march and out of my apartment. I knock on his door sharply and tap my foot impatiently while I wait for him to answer.

It doesn't take him long to open the door and when he does he stands in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. I can't stop my eyes darting down to admire the toned muscles of his stomach and a rush of heat licks up my entire body. I forget why I am here in the first place as I pull my eyes back up to his face.

"Fuck it," I say, dropping the hoodie on the floor.

I take a purposeful step towards him and pull him down for a searing kiss. If I had any worries he would stop me, they disappear as soon as he pulls me in closer to him and he grips my hips tightly.

"Fuck, Katniss," he growls. "I've wanted you for so long."

He pushes me into the wall and I moan when I feel his hips buck into me. I tangle my hands in his hair as he begins peppering kisses on the side of my neck, while a hand slips underneath my running top and begins moulding and teasing my flesh.

"I thought of you whenever I got myself off," I admit.

I'm beginning to think Peeta had a point about being honest earlier. Lying has got us nowhere.

"Jesus, Katniss. Just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter," he groans in my ear.

I smile before bringing his lips back up to mine. My hands roam the strong planes of his back and I hitch my leg up around his hip. We both moan as our cores brush against each other.

"I imagined fucking you right here in this living room. I couldn't stop imagining how your cock would feel inside of me," I breathe as I gently bite on his bottom lip.

Peeta groans again and then suddenly lifts me off the ground. I let out a yelp of surprise but wrap my legs around his waist to steady myself. Peeta marches me through to the living room but I continue to plant kisses and grind into him. We don't make it very far and Peeta dumps me rather unceremoniously on the couch.

"I dreamed of undressing you so many times," Peeta says, leaning down and whispering in my ear. "I can't wait to see what those tits look like."

I gasp as he runs his hands down my body and he finds the tops of my sport leggings. With one quick movement he tears them and my panties off my body. My top and sports bra follow soon after and I eagerly reach up to him so I can feel his skin against mine. The heat intensifies and I urge him to remove his own sweatpants. Soon we are both naked and I feel his erection throbbing against my core.

I reach down to find him and dip the tip inside of me for lubrication. We both moan as I move him so that his head stimulates my clit.

"Shit!" Peeta exclaims. "There are condoms in my bedroom."

I shake my head before pulling him down for a kiss.

"I'm clean and on the pill. What about you?" I ask.

"Clean also. I trust you," Peeta says breathlessly.

I smile as I place a hand on his ass and push him closer to me.

"I don't want any more foreplay," I mutter.

Peeta groans and picks up one of my legs so it rests against his shoulder. I open up to him and guide him inside of me. He feels so good that I let out an embarrassingly loud moan. Peeta uses this to spur him on and he sets a rapid pace as we rut together on the couch.

I don't quite know where to put my hands. I want to touch as much of him as I can and my hands are restless as the move over his back and shoulders and then down to his ass. With so much pent up sexual frustration these last few months it doesn't take long for me to lose my breath.

"Slow down," I pant. "I want to make it last."

Peeta pulls back to look at my face and pauses momentarily. We both breathe heavily but he gives me a look that is so tender that I melt a little inside.

"Whatever you want," he replies.

He then bends down to give me a sweet kiss. I smile when he pulls back and he pauses for just a moment as he studies my face. I tip my hips up to urge him to continue. Peeta smiles as he begins rocking more gently into me.

The fire inside of me begins to build up, slower this time. Peeta keeps hold of my gaze and leans down occasionally to place soft kisses on my lips or collarbone. I grip onto him tighter as my release gets nearer.

My walls finally burst around him and it doesn't take long for him to follow me. I feel him soften inside of me and he pulls back to slip out. We both turn to smile at each other but the reality of the situation soon comes crashing down on us.

Peeta reaches out to brush a strand of hair off my face. He runs his hand down so that it rests at the base of my neck and he causes goosebumps to appear on my skin as he rubs patterns there.

"So what do we do now?" he asks.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't think it is too much of a surprise that these two succumbed to each other in this chapter. Obviously the timing is still not right but logic has escaped them at this moment.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

Peeta pads back through to his bedroom in a pair of navy boxer shorts. A surge of lust rushes through my body at the sight of his chiselled chest. I'm still wet from the orgasm he gave me just moments ago, but over the past month I've discovered my body never stops yearning for him.

Peeta smiles at me as he shuts the door behind him and I stretch out on his bed.

"I told you to not bother putting your boxers back on," I say.

Peeta grins and shakes his head as he falls down onto the bed next to me. I automatically turn on my side and reach out for him.

"Well, I had to put the cheese buns in the oven, after someone interrupted me earlier, and I didn't want to get my unmentionables burned," he replies.

"Unmentionables, really?" I question. "Sometimes you sound like an eighty-year-old woman."

Peeta chuckles as he pulls me into his chest. I instinctively snuggle further into him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not good at this whole casual relationship thing," Peeta replies. "I'm not used to having so much sex with a girl that I don't take out on dates."

I smile at him a little sadly. After our first night spent together we agreed to keep things light between us. There is an undeniable connection between us, and neither of us want to fight it any longer, but with the trial we can't be seen out together in public. For the last four weeks, this is the compromise that we have made.

I thought I would feel guiltier about sleeping with Peeta but I've found it surprisingly easy to separate him from Ryan and Madge in my mind. It helps that he and Ryan look different from each other and neither of us bring up the case when we are together. I live in a different world when I am with Peeta. A world that doesn't involve a murdered Madge Undersee and all the stresses of work. Prim thinks I'm living in a dream land and believes I need to face reality. But I am too weak. I can't keep away from Peeta Mellark.

His comment plays on my mind. Most of my relationships have been on the causal side and I find it hard to believe a man as attractive and charming as him hasn't had the opportunity for a fling in the past.

"You've never had a one-night stand?" I ask curiously.

Peeta shakes his head.

"No. I've only ever slept with three women before you and I was in love with them all. I've never seen the point of random hook ups," he replies.

I duck my eyes to look away from him. I don't want to think he's changing his morals for me.

"That puts no pressure on me," I mumble.

Peeta laughs and tips my head up so I look at him.

"I don't regret anything we've done so far. I wish I could take you out, but what we are doing is pretty enjoyable too," he says with a cheeky smile.

I smile too and relax back in his arms. His hand begins trailing up and down my arm and a warm tingling begins to spread throughout my body.

"Maybe you could take me out," I say as I reach a hand out to tangle and play with his fingers. "I mean, you can't take me out in Panem, but we could go further afield, where no one would recognise us."

Peeta raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"You'd really want to go out with me?" he asks. "Isn't that breaking the whole causal arrangement we've got going on?"

I shrug my shoulders and bury my head into his shoulder to hide my blush.

"I enjoyed the first date we went on. And you did say the next time I could take you to do archery," I reply.

A grin spreads across Peeta's face but he doesn't say anything for a moment. I'm not sure what possessed me to make such an offer but Peeta has a way of making me feel and want things I haven't in the past. I know they are dangerous but I want to take the risk.

Eventually Peeta ducks his head down so it touches mine and he gives me a little squeeze.

"I'd love for you to be my teacher," he says. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"There's this place just outside of my hometown. It's a couple of hours away from Panem and people are unlikely to recognise you there," I reply.

The grin spreads even further across Peeta's face.

"It's a date then," he says, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

I smile into the kiss and push aside the repercussions of this decision. Agreeing to this date may stretch the definition of a casual relationship but I enjoy spending time with Peeta too much to care. It doesn't take long for me to deepen the kiss and Peeta groans as he rolls me onto my back.

"We have fifteen minutes until I need to take the cheese buns out of the oven," he mumbles against my lips.

I smile again and hook my leg over his hip as I pull him closer.

"That sounds like a challenge," I reply.

Peeta laughs before I reach down to find his cock underneath his boxers. I wrap my hand around it and rub him until I feel him swell in my hand. Peeta groans again and removes his lips from mine to lightly bite down on my neck. I lean my head back to grant him better access and he begins lavishing my skin there. Peeta starts to buck into my hand as I continue to work him and I slide my foot up to push his boxers down his ass.

"We'd have saved some time if you had listened to me and not put your boxers back on," I mumble.

"You're right. I'll remember to listen to you next time," Peeta pants.

His lips move quickly down my chest until they envelope one of my dark nipples. I arch my back and gasp as Peeta's mouth pleasures me. I feel the wetness slip down my thighs and I wriggle about impatiently underneath Peeta.

"I need you," I whine.

Peeta smirks at my tone before he flips me onto my hands and knees.

"Put your hands on the headboard," he commands.

I shiver goes up my spine at the tone of his voice. He is so mild mannered in normal life that it thrills me when he takes control. I brace my hands against the headboard and squirm impatiently as I wait for Peeta to enter me. I feel his hands skim over my ass and spread my legs. I hold my breath in anticipation. Peeta admires me for just a second before he slams into me with no warning.

I moan loudly as he fills me to the hilt and begins rutting into me at a rapid pace. I screw my eyes shut as his cock find my g-spot perfectly with every thrust.

"Touch yourself," Peeta demands.

I reach round to find my clit and begin rubbing it. Peeta grunts when he sees me do so and picks up the pace. I cry out as the pleasure spikes in my body and my walls tighten around him. I explode seconds later and Peeta has to catch me as my body slumps forward onto the bed. His hand grasps onto my breast as he continues to pound into me. I try to catch my breath and it only takes a few more thrusts before Peeta lets out a loud groan and begins to pulsate inside of me. He pulls me down with him as he collapses onto the bed.

I don't care that it was quick and needy. I know we'll make it up later tonight and I smile tiredly at Peeta. We let our breaths get back to normal before Peeta turns to look at the clock beside his bed.

"We even have two minutes to spare. Allows us to have a post sex cuddle," Peeta grins.

I chuckle as I wrap my arms around him. Two minutes isn't long enough.

* * *

Peeta and I eat the cheese buns before falling asleep in his bed. I wake up the next morning with a smile on my face. Peeta and I cook breakfast together before I reluctantly leave to get a clean pair of clothes. We make arrangements to meet up later so I can take him to the archery centre later today.

I hum as I enter my apartment and my head is full of thoughts of the day ahead with Peeta. I feel no apprehension about going out with him and the case is the furthest thing from my mind.

I am so busy thinking about Peeta that I almost miss Prim when I walk into our apartment. She sits hunched over her laptop, glasses on the edge of her nose, as she scribbles notes on a pad in front of her. She looks up at me and sighs when she sees my tangled hair.

I was a little surprised by her reaction when I first told her about Peeta and I. I expected her to squeal and demand to know all the details but she was wary. She cautioned me to be careful and I get the feeling she judges me whenever I go and see him.

"A good night with Peeta, I take it?" she asks.

I nod my head as I make my way towards my bedroom.

"A really good night. He made me cheese buns. I'm just grabbing a change of clothes before I take him up to the archery range by mom and dad's," I reply.

Prim freezes when she hears my words.

"You're kidding me, right?" she says.

I turn to her with a frown.

"Why would I joke about it?" I reply.

Prim widens her eyes in shock.

"What happened to keeping things casual? What if someone sees you?" Prim says.

"No one is going to recognise Peeta in Seam," I state.

Prim shakes her head in disapproval. I suddenly get the feeling she is going to let out all the thoughts she has been suppressing for the last month.

"You can't know that, Katniss. I can't sit here and watch you possibly ruin your career," Prim says.

"Where the hell is this coming from? You were all for Peeta and me a few months ago," I reply.

My temper begins to rise and I get annoyed for Prim for questioning me.

"I was," she says desperately, "before everything happened with his brother. I really thought he was going to be the one to break down your walls but you will get disbarred if you are found out. I'm not used to you being this reckless."

"I'm not being reckless," I say. "We're being careful. I don't need you judging me."

"I'm not judging you. I just don't want you to get hurt. Even if you don't get found out, have you thought about what will happen after the trial? What's going to happen when you send Ryan to jail?" Prim questions.

I shake my head fiercely and turn my back on her.

"You are not being helpful. It would be nice to have your support," I say.

Prim sighs heavily.

"I'm just trying to be realistic. Don't be mad at me for pointing out the things you are trying to ignore," she says.

"I'm not going to stop seeing him. I don't think I could stop if I wanted to," I reply.

There is a long pause and I turn round to face Prim again. She looks at me sadly before speaking.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she replies.

* * *

Peeta smiles at me when I meet him an hour later but this soon turns into a frown when he sees the scowl on my face.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"I had an argument with Prim," I mutter.

We didn't resolve anything before I left again and am annoyed that the argument has spoiled what is supposed to be a good day. Peeta smiles at me sympathetically as we begin to walk down the stairs.

"What was the fight about?" he asks.

I look away guiltily and pick at my nails.

"You. She thinks we're playing with fire and it will all end in disaster," I admit.

Peeta is silent for a long moment as he focuses on a spot up ahead.

"She's probably right," he eventually replies.

I whip my head round to look at him.

"Then why agree to come out with me today," I snap.

Peeta stops and puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Your sister is just being protective. I know the risks we are taking. I've always taken the safe choice before but that's not going to satisfy me this time. I agreed to this date because I wanted it," Peeta replies.

I soften and feel guilty for snapping at him. Peeta smiles at me reassuringly as he reaches a hand out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I think you're pretty special, Katniss Everdeen," he says sincerely.

I blush at his compliment but stand on my toes to give him a soft kiss.

"I'm only in this for the cheese buns," I joke.

Peeta laughs and the tension between us disappears. He drops his hand down to link his fingers with mine and we walk contentedly out the door.

* * *

The drive to my old hometown is a couple of hours away but conversation never dries up between Peeta and I. We laugh and cringe as we retell our college antics and debate seriously if there will be a demise in superhero movies. We are both in very good moods when I pull up at the old archery centre.

The centre is part of a larger outdoor sports complex that includes a rock climbing wall and a lake for kayaking and sailing. The archery section is tucked at the back and consists of an old wooden shack and a small outdoor clearing with some targets. Further into the woods are some targets pinned to trees which are used by the slightly more experienced archers.

I always forget the quiet of my hometown. I'm constantly moving in Panem and it's nice to be back in a place where the only noises come from the birds flitting through the trees. I let out a sigh of content as I step out the car and deeply inhale the fresh smells of the countryside. Peeta smiles when he sees me. I tip my head back to savour the bit of sunshine that touches my face.

"You look at home here," Peeta comments as he comes around to join me.

I tip my head back down to turn to him with a smile.

"I've been stuck in the city too long. I forgot how suffocating Panem can feel at times," I reply.

"I know exactly what you mean. It's why I'm building my house out of town. The quietness is so calming," Peeta replies.

I smile back at him as I remember just how much we have in common.

"Come on," I say with a grin. "I'm ready to impress you with my skills for once."

Peeta chuckles as we begin walking towards the wooden shack.

"Don't worry. You have certain skills that have greatly impressed me already. ," he says with a suggestive wriggle of his eyebrows.

"You pig," I say. "There are more important skills than sex."

Peeta laughs.

"I look forward to being educated in these other skills," Peeta replies with a cheeky grin.

I smile and shake my head at him before pushing into the wooden shack. Ripper, the centre's owner, smiles at me when I enter. She must be closing in on seventy now but she is one of the most robust people in Seam. I learned early as a kid to not mess with her. She could sniff out trouble from a mile away and it's no secret she sells black market liquor underneath her desk.

"It's been a long time since we've seen you in these parts, Katniss," Ripper declares.

"Work's been busy," I reply with a smile.

"I heard. Your daddy was telling me you have a big murder case at the moment. It makes me sick to think there are bastards out there that would do such things," Ripper says.

Peeta looks down at the floor and shifts about uncomfortably on his feet. I smile awkwardly back at Ripper.

"It's horrible but I came here to forget about the case for a while. I've brought a friend along to teach him some archery," I reply.

Ripper turns her eyes to Peeta and studies him carefully. Slowly a smile spreads across her face.

"He's a bit handsome to be just a friend," Ripper prods.

"Looks can be deceiving. I'm a terrible driver and terrified of spiders. I'm not good boyfriend material," Peeta says with a grin.

Ripper laughs and shakes her head.

"You better watch out, Katniss. These are the types that steal your heart without you even realising," Ripper says.

"I've already installed the extra security measures," I reply.

Ripper laughs again and Peeta smiles at me. Ripper gets off her chair and walks round to the selection of bows. She picks out a shiny silver bow and hands it to me.

"There is still no one that fires this bow as well as you, Katniss," Ripper says.

She then turns to Peeta.

"You'll have trouble keeping your boy down there under control," Ripper says, flicking her eyes down to Peeta's crouch. "You should have seen the number of teenage boys that walked with their hands over their crotch while Katniss practised as a teenager."

Peeta turns to me with raised eyebrows.

"I knew you were a heart breaker at school," he says.

"Hardly. Most of the boys were too scared to go anywhere near me," I reply.

Peeta laughs before turning his attention back to Ripper. She hands him a simpler bow and shows him how to grip it properly in his hand.

"This bow is best for beginners. Katniss will show you how to use it. Just don't kill anyone with it," she says.

Peeta nods his head and thanks Ripper for the bow. I grip my own bow in my hand and pick up a sheath of arrows. I place the arrows on my back and turn to grab Peeta's hand.

"Let's go. It's not as easy as it looks," I say.

Peeta smiles broadly back at me.

"Lead the way. You can do with me what you please," Peeta says.

I smile at him before saying goodbye to Ripper and tugging Peeta out of the shack. We walk round to the large targets just beside it and put some of our stuff down on the ground.

"What made you take up archery anyway?" Peeta asks.

"Gale took it up before me and kept boasting how he was the best in the county. I hated him being so smug so I decided to try. It was one of the best moments in my life when I got the bullseye on my first go. It wiped the grin right off Gale's face. I became hooked afterwards," I reply.

"I don't think I've ever met a more competitive person than you," Peeta says.

I grin at him and shrug my shoulder nonchalantly.

"I like winning. Maybe even more than sex," I say.

Peeta laughs and shakes his head at me.

"Clearly, I need to up my game more in the bedroom," he replies.

I laugh and finish sorting our things. I want to impress him with my archery skills today. So far he's proven to be better at everything else we've done.

"I'll start with a demonstration. Don't be too intimidated by my natural skill," I say with a grin.

Peeta nods his head in agreement and then steps back to watch me shoot. I grip the bow in my hands and pull an arrow from my sheath. I take a moment to position myself and pause momentarily as I set my eyes on the target. When I'm ready, I release the first arrow at the first target before reaching round to get another arrow and firing that off in rapid succession. I keep firing until I've stuck an arrow in the centre of all six targets. The whole thing took me about twenty seconds.

I turn around to Peeta with a triumphant grin and his mouth hangs open in awe.

"Impressed?" I ask with a smile.

Peeta doesn't say anything as he strides to me and grasps my head in his hands. He pulls me up for a deep kiss that I feel right down to the tips of my toes.

"Ripper wasn't wrong about me getting a boner," Peeta mumbles against my lips. "That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

I laugh but he pulls me back for another kiss. I savour the tight grip of his hands on my head and open my mouth to greedily let him in. Peeta pushes his body until it is flush against mine and the now familiar feeling of lust courses through my body. I gently push him back and reach up to stroke his hair.

"I'm sure Ripper doesn't want to see a free sex show," I say.

Peeta grins against my cheek as his hands move down to my waist.

"I don't know," he says. "She was the one talking about erections earlier."

He nips at the skin behind my ear and I bend my neck back to grant him better access. I let him place a few more kisses there before I reluctantly push him away.

"I came here to teach you archery. If you do well I may let you carry this on in the car," I say suggestively.

Peeta raises his eyebrows and I nod my head in confirmation. I reach up to plant a quick kiss on his lips before turning and darting out his arms. I pick up his bow and gesture for him to come over.

"First thing you need to do is get into position. Place your left foot in front and turn towards the target," I say.

Peeta follows my instructions and I help him get the correct stance and nock the bow.

"Draw this arm back and take aim at the target," I say as I skim my hand over Peeta's arms to get him into position.

"This boner isn't going away with you touching me like this," Peeta says cheekily.

I gently swot him on the arm.

"Concentrate. You won't hit the target if you keep thinking about me," I say.

Peeta chuckles and I move his arms back into position.

"Now take a deep breath and release when you're ready," I say.

Peeta nods his head and I step back. I watch him as he steadies his aim and takes a deep breath. Seconds later he releases the arrow and it goes flying through the air. The arrow sticks in the target, just outside the centre ring. Peeta turns to me a proud grin.

"I almost got a bullseye! I'll be as good as you by the end of the day," he says.

I shake my head at him.

"Beginners luck. Now try again without me helping you," I say.

Peeta nods his head eagerly and reaches for another bow. It doesn't take him too long to set up again and fire another arrow. This one is even closer to the centre target than the first one.

Peeta spends the next half hour practising his shooting and even gets several arrows in the bullseye. It annoys me a little that he's found it so easy so I challenge him to a competition. I get some balloons from Ripper and stick them on the target. Points are awarded for popping different balloons.

"Yes!" Peeta declares as he pops another balloon. "That's eight points for me! How many did you get?"

"Eleven," I reply.

Peeta stops and tilts his head to the side. He studies me carefully for the moment.

"Why aren't you jumping around and boasting about how you beat me?" he asks.

I sigh as he takes a step towards me.

"It's not fair," I whine as Peeta puts his arms around me. "I only just beat you. You are too good for a beginner."

"Only because I have the best teacher," Peeta replies.

I sigh and shake my head.

"You are just so good at everything. You draw. You bake. And now you can shoot. You are too perfect for your own good," I say.

Peeta smiles at me and ducks his head down.

"Didn't you hear me tell Ripper I'm terrified of spiders? If there's ever one in the apartment I'll be calling you round to deal with it while I lock myself in the bathroom," he says.

I laugh and bury my head in his shoulder.

"Thank you for coming with me today. This has been the best day I've had in a while," I say.

Peeta squeezes me as we stand wrapped around each other in the clearing.

"Spending time with you seems like the only good thing in my life at the moment," Peeta replies.

* * *

It's back to reality the next day at work. Coin dumped Madge's phone records on my desk today and I scroll through the hundreds of messages between her and Ryan to find any more evidence of the problems in their relationship. There are definitely two sides to their relationship. Some of their messages are so sickly sweet I think even Prim would gag at the corniness in them. But there are just as many where they are short with each other and I can sense the underlying tension.

However, as I am scrolling through the transcripts, I notice a number that keeps popping up the week of the murder. It sticks out to me because it doesn't appear a lot in the weeks prior. I do a quick search and find the number belongs to a Seneca Crane. I wrack my mind until I remember why that name sounds familiar. Seneca Crane was Madge's boss at the publishing company. Curious to find out why he suddenly started texting her a lot, I open the message thread.

The first message I read causes me alarm.

 _Seneca: You better keep your mouth shut_

I'm shocked by the tone and scroll down to read Madge's reply.

 _Madge: You are disgusting_

 _Madge: You have three kids_

 _Madge: Fucking your secretary isn't even original. I feel sorry for your wife._

 _Seneca: Don't bring my kids into this. This doesn't involve them._

 _Madge: It does when you are betraying their mom._

I sit back in my chair as I let this information sink in. But it's the last message sent from Seneca that causes my blood to freeze. It was sent on the day of the murder. Only three hours before she was killed.

 _Seneca: If you tell her, you're dead_

* * *

 **A/N: So I'm going to leave you on this cliffhanger this week. Thanks to everyone who is reading the story.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9_

I sit frozen, staring at the message, trying to get my head around what I am reading. Why hasn't this come up before? In none of my notes has Seneca Crane been mentioned as a possible suspect or even questioned by the police. The text message could have been an empty threat, written by a man who's lost control of his life, or it could have resulted in the worst.

I scramble about for my phone and dial Darius' number. I haven't seen a lot of him since Madge's funeral but he had some useful information about Marvel. It doesn't take long for him to pick up.

"Hey, Katniss. It's been a while," Darius says.

"I know. Work's been busy," I say. "And I actually wanted to call you about something in it."

Darius hesitates a moment before answering.

"Okay," he says. "What do you want to know?"

"What do you know about Seneca Crane?" I ask.

Darius makes a noise of disgust.

"He's a dickhead. Madge ran about doing all his work and then he took the credit for it. Plus, he's a slimy bastard. Even though he's married with kids he feels up every girl under thirty in the office. It pissed him right off when Madge went to HR after he tried to grope her," Darius replies.

"So they didn't get on?" I ask for clarification.

"Madge likened him to Satan with his black eyes and pointy beard. He never gave her any respect," Darius says.

I sink back into my chair and run a hand through my hair. This guy's motive gets stronger and stronger.

"Did she mention him at all during the week of the murder? Even if it was just in passing," I ask.

Darius pauses to think for a moment and I chew on my bottom lip as I wait.

"Come to think about it, yeah. They had an argument after she found out he was fucking his secretary," Darius replies.

"Madge told you about that?" I ask.

"She told me everything. She trusted me more than Ryan," he says. "Why are you asking about Crane anyway? Shouldn't you be focussing on Ryan?"

"Seneca's name just popped up. I wanted to gage his character. Sounds like he wasn't afraid to over step people's boundaries," I reply.

"He's a creep, there's no doubt about it, but he's spineless," Darius says.

"Thanks, Darius. You've been really helpful with the case," I say.

"I'll do whatever it takes to help put Ryan away," he replies.

"Thanks again. I'll hopefully see you at my birthday party at the weekend," I say.

I can hear the smile on Darius' face when he answers.

"I won't miss it. I take up any excuse to get shitfaced," he replies.

I chuckle and shake my head.

"I'm not cleaning up your puke again. You need to find a girlfriend to do that for you," I reply.

Darius laughs.

"But I don't know any girls as pretty as you," he teases.

I shake my head again as I try to wind the call down.

"I'll see you Saturday, Darius," I say.

"I hope to see you in something hot," he says.

"Like you'd ever stand a chance with me," I reply before saying goodbye.

We hang up and Darius temporarily puts a smile on my face but the reality of the case soon sets in again. My chat with Darius hasn't alleviated my fears about Seneca Crane. It doesn't sit right with me that he's never been questioned. I sit, going over it for a while, before getting up and going to speak to Coin about it.

I knock on Coin's door and she looks up from her computer screen.

"Hello, Katniss. What can I do for you?" she asks.

I walk slowly into the room and place down a print out of the text messages between Seneca and Madge.

"Look at the last text. It isn't even subtle," I say.

Curious, Coin glances at the page. She reads the last message and then sighs as she turns back to her computer.

"You need to stop poking holes in this investigation, Katniss. The case against Ryan is a done deal. It's not your job to do further investigation," she says.

"How can you just ignore this!" I exclaim. "It's a clear death threat on the day of the murder!"

"If the police thought it meant something they would have pursued it," Coin says calmly.

She doesn't look at me when she speaks. Her eyes are focused on the computer screen as she types and scrolls down. It pisses me off that she is ignoring me.

"They never even questioned Crane. And I bet Abernathy is investigating this further. We need to be prepared for them bringing it up in court," I say.

"Abernathy can't bring it up. He's not allowed to present another suspect, only defend the one on trial," Coin replies.

I shake my head in disbelief. Coin purses her lips as her annoyance becomes clear.

"This doesn't sit right with me. What if Seneca was involved? What if Ryan is innocent?" I ask.

"Give it a rest, Katniss!" Coin snaps.

I recoil at the force of her words and stare at her with wide eyes.

"We have the evidence to put Ryan away. I won't have you screwing this up for me," she says.

I stare at her silently for a long moment. I suddenly see her in a very different light.

"You don't even care if he's guilty or not. As long as you keep your statistics up," I say.

Coin shakes her in disgust.

"Maybe it was a mistake asking you to assist on this case. You get too emotionally involved," Coin replies.

"I'm not going to ignore this. The police must have missed this the first time. I have to report it to them," I say.

Coin narrows her eyes at me.

"I would think very carefully about your next move, Everdeen," she says.

"Or what?" I challenge. "Kicking me off the case will look bad. Particularly if I go to the press and say how you purposefully ignored evidence on a potential other suspect," I say.

Coin's eyes fill with rage. She knows I'm right and can't believe that I have the balls to stand up to her in this way. But I won't let my integrity be damaged for the sake of my statistics. Coin is quiet for a long time as we stare each other down.

"Get out my office," she says coldly.

I don't bat an eyelid as I turn and walk out the room without a further word.

* * *

Coin doesn't speak directly to me for the rest of the week but I feel safe in the knowledge that I am just doing my job. It is my duty to pass on any new evidence I find on to the investigation team, even if it makes things more favourable to the client we are prosecuting. I pass the text messages on to Detective Thread and he promises to interview Crane but I haven't hear anything more about it by the weekend. I make a promise to call first thing on Monday morning.

It is a relief when the weekend finally arrives and I can avoid Coin's disappointed and angry stares. There is the added bonus that it's my birthday and Johanna and Prim have organised a party for me. After a shit week I can't wait to drink my troubles away.

Prim helps me get ready for the party at my favourite bar downtown. I even let her do my hair up in some fancy braided do. Things are still tense between us because of Peeta and it's my way of attempting to rebuild bridges.

"I'm so jealous of your hair. It's so much thicker than mine," Prim says as she pins some hair back.

"Your hair always looks better than mine," I reply.

"That's because you only ever wear it in a braid," Prim says.

Thresh, who sits on the couch nearby, chuckles at Prim's comment.

"I remember walking past you in the street the first time I saw you with your hair down. It didn't seem right," Thresh says.

I scowl at him.

"Braids are practical," I say, crossing my arms across my chest.

"And they suit you," Prim replies.

She finishes pinning the last part of my hair up and steps back to admire her handiwork.

"All done. You're going to look hot tonight," she says.

I turn my head to admire the intricate hairstyle and smile in gratitude. It goes perfectly with my figure hugging black dress with lace capped sleeves.

"Thanks, Prim. I'd be lost without you," I say.

Prims smiles at me before turning to hand me a glass of champagne.

"It's time to start celebrating properly," she says. "You only turn thirty-one once."

I take the glass gratefully and wait for Prim to hand Thresh a glass as well. We then all stand together to raise our glasses.

"Happy Birthday, Katniss. I definitely have a pretty badass sister," Prim says.

"To badass Katniss Everdeen," Thresh echoes.

We clink our glasses together and I smile at them before taking a sip. It feels good to have my sister on my side again.

After a couple of sips of champagne there is a knock at the door. I go to answer it and smile when I greet Peeta on the other side.

"Happy Birthday," he says, leaning in to give me a kiss.

I smile as we pull back and then lead him further into the apartment. He is dressed simply in jeans and a grey t-shirt that hugs his body in all the right places. It still amazes me that the mere sight of him makes my heart pound.

Prim eyes Peeta when he comes in and she turns her back to talk to Thresh. I sigh but focus my own attentions on Peeta.

"I wish you could come tonight," I say to him.

Peeta gives me a sympathetic smile as he tugs me towards him.

"You haven't seen your friends in a while. And I'll be waiting for you when you get back," he says.

"You better be naked when I get home," I reply. "I'm going commando tonight."

Peeta groans and ducks his head down to press it against my forehead.

"You shouldn't have said that. I am now going to have to jerk off just after you leave," he says.

I smile at him as I run my hand up to lightly grab his crotch.

"Just save some energy for me," I say as I lightly nip his skin by his ear.

Peeta groans again and I smirk. When I finally draw my head back I find Prim staring at us with a hard look. Thresh is talking to her but she isn't listening to him.

Peeta reluctantly releases me and then presents me the package he's been holding the entire time.

"I got you a present," he says.

"You didn't have to," I say as I take the present off him.

It's been incredibly neatly wrapped. The forest green paper so closely resembles my favourite colour and a beautifully tied silver bow is placed on top. I shake my head at the sight.

"Is everything you do precise and beautiful?" I ask.

Peeta grins at me.

"I have an eye for beauty," he replies.

I laugh as I carefully begin to unwrap the gift. The paper falls away to reveal a handmade red leather journal. When I open it up, I find the pages filled with different cake and bread recipes.

"They are all my recipes. Since you love baked goods so much I thought it would be fun to try and bake some together," he says.

I stare up at him in awe. The idea of baking with him fills my stomach with excited butterflies and I can't wait to get started. The gift is perfect.

"Thank you. I love it," I say.

I place a hand on his neck to reach up and give him a soft kiss. Peeta smiles into it and we don't look away from each other after we've pulled apart.

There is a loud bang and we turn to see Prim storm out of the room. Thresh looks at us sympathetically while Peeta sighs and pulls away from me.

"I'm sorry that my presence keeps causing arguments between you and Prim," Peeta says.

Thresh shakes his head as he makes his way over to us.

"She'll be fine. She's realises she has to agree to disagree with Katniss about this. It's just hard for her to see you acting affectionately. She's scared you're going to get hurt," Thresh says.

"I'm a big girl. I know what I'm doing," I reply.

"Hell, I'm on your side. Unlike my girlfriend, I'm rooting for you," Thresh says.

"Thanks. That means a lot," I reply.

Thresh shrugs his shoulders.

"If you tell Prim I said so I will deny it. But I know there would have been nothing stopping me from being with Prim after our first date. When you know, you know," he says.

We share a smile and then Thresh slaps Peeta on the shoulder.

"And her disapproval of your relationship doesn't stop her eating all the baked goods you make. I swear I've gone up a waist size!" Thresh exclaims.

Peeta chuckles.

"Just means you can justify extra workouts in the bedroom," Peeta replies.

Thresh barks out a laugh.

"I like the way you think, bro," Thresh says. "I'll go and check on her. Have a good night, Peeta, if I don't see you again."

We all smile and then Thresh turns to follow Prim. We watch him go before turning back to face each other. Peeta pulls me to him and gives me a deep kiss. I sink into him as my whole body relaxes.

"I want you to have fun tonight," Peeta says. "If you don't get drunk, I'm not putting out later."

I laugh and lean my forehead against his. We both sigh in content.

"I am prone to giving strip teases when I drink too much," I say.

"Well then I insist you get drunk," Peeta replies.

We both laugh before Peeta gives me one last kiss before the party. I don't want to leave him behind.

* * *

"Happy Birthday!" Johanna exclaims.

She throws her arms around me and squeezes me tight. I wrap my arms around her too but she holds on to me longer than is probably necessary. I flick my eyes to her girlfriend, Cressida, who is standing just behind, and she gives me a smile.

"Jo may have started drinking at three o'clock," Cressida says.

Johanna finally let's go of me and stands up tall.

"Damn right I've been drinking all afternoon. Just because we're in our thirties doesn't mean we have to be boring," Johanna says.

Cressida and I both laugh.

"Do you know how many dinner parties I've been to in the last month? Five! That's at least one a week. I even learned how to make duck confit last weekend. I'm turning into Martha fucking Stewart!" Johanna adds.

Cressida and I laugh again before Cressida sidles up to Johanna and slips her arm around her. She smiles affectionately down at her girlfriend before placing a kiss on her temple.

"You will never be boring, Jo. You forgot to mention that you made that duck in nothing but an apron," Cressida says.

Johanna relaxes into her girlfriend and smiles.

"Well it was naked Sunday," she replies.

Cressida chuckles.

"It's naked day every day in our house," Cressida says.

We all laugh and Johanna tips her head up to kiss Cressida. I smile happily at them before going off to greet some of my other guests.

Johanna and Prim have strung up multi-coloured balloons in a cordoned off area of the bar. The bar plays slightly older music and I can already tell Johanna will want to move on to a place with a deeper bass later tonight. Several of my friends from college and a couple of my work colleagues are already here and I go up to greet everyone with a hug and a thank you for coming.

Gale smiles at me cheekily when I reach him.

"I see the dart board is out tonight," Gale says tipping is head in the direction of the vintage board in the corner. "Fancy a rematch. I was injured the last time we played."

"You had a paper cut," Leevy, his new fiancée, cuts in. "Just admit Katniss is better than you."

Leevy and I share a smile and I jokingly flex my arm muscles and roll my wrist.

"It's all in the wrist action. And I'm more than happy to beat you again," I reply.

Gale smiles and shakes his head.

"Your cockiness will be your downfall," he says.

I laugh before we turn and walk towards the dartboard. Leevy offers to be an impartial referee and a crowd soon gathers to watch Gale and I compete. Johanna changes allegiances throughout the match and cheers loudly for the latest best shot. Both Gale and I are competitive and the game is fiercely contested but I eventually hit a double sixteen to hand me the win.

"You were a fool to challenge me on my birthday!" I declare at the end. "Nothing is going to ruin my day today."

Gale smiles and shakes his head.

"I'm just luring you into a false sense of security. I'm saving my A game for when it really matters," he says.

I laugh.

"You know darts isn't an Olympic sport, right?" I reply.

Gale smiles and shakes his head. I smile back and grab his hand to tug him to the bar.

"Come on. It's time for your forfeit shots. There are three shots of nightlock waiting for you."

Gale groans and hangs his head. Nightlock is a particularly vile shot that tastes a bit like acid and burns the back of your throat. Our group of friends go to great lengths to avoid drinking it.

Johanna already leans against the bar and shouts at the bartender to line up the shots. Gale moves slowly towards her. Just as we reach her, Darius walks in and spots the purple shots lined up on the bar.

"Gale, when are you going to stop challenging Katniss? It always ends in punishment for you," Darius says.

"Katniss doesn't always win," Gale grumbles.

Darius and I share a smile and Johanna shoves a shot in Gale's hand. She does it roughly and some of it spills down Gale's shirt.

"Don't be a pussy, Hawthorne. Take your punishment like a man," Johanna says.

Gale sighs and takes the shot off her. He takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment before closing his eyes and downing the shot. He scrunches his nose in disgust and splutters as the liquid slides down his throat.

"It tastes like wallpaper paste," Gale says.

He downs the other two shots quickly before turning to look for Leevy.

"I'm going to see if I can get some sympathy of my fiancée," he says.

"She won't want to kiss you with that breath," Johanna replies.

Gale flips her the bird and the two of them go off to find her. Darius and I are left alone and I turn to greet him properly.

"Thanks for coming," I say to him.

Darius grins at me and leans his elbow against the bar. He gestures for the bartender and orders a bottle of champagne.

"It's my pleasure," he says. "Now Madge is gone you are the hottest girl I know."

I shake my head at him.

"You're such a charmer. No wonder you've never settled down," I say.

Darius shrugs his shoulders just as the bartender comes back with the champagne. Darius takes the bottle and pours us two glasses. We raise them and clink them together.

"I can't charm every girl," he says, sounding slightly disheartened.

He hangs his forehead and focuses on his drink. The cheeky smile falls from his face. I frown a little in confusion but then Darius shakes his head and quickly changes the conversation. He begins talking about some incident at work and I don't press him to explain more.

I have a lot of fun at the party. My glass is never empty and I spend most of the night laughing. It feels good to do something normal with everything going on at work. I don't catch sight of the more sombre version of Darius for the rest of the night and he gets flirtier with me the more drinks he has. Prim even has enough alcohol to forget about Peeta and we have the most fun together in a long time.

But I do miss Peeta. I can't help but think how well Peeta would fit in with all my friends here tonight. And with so many of my friends coupled up now I feel a little lonely without him. I find myself constantly checking my phone to see if he's replied to my messages and to check on the time. I figure I can stick around until midnight and then disappear off to end the night with him.

However, my constant phone checking doesn't go unnoticed. Gale narrows his eyes at me when he spies me trying to slyly check my phone under the table.

"Who are you waiting to hear from? I thought nearly everyone you wanted was here?" Gale asks.

I hastily shove my phone back in my purse and turn to Gale, trying to not look flustered.

"I was just checking the time," I reply.

Gale raises his eyebrows and it's clear he doesn't believe me.

"You look at your phone every fifteen minutes. I'm beginning to think you have a booty call. You aren't hooking up with Cato again?" he asks.

"No," I declare. "I'm not that desperate."

Gale shrugs his shoulders.

"You haven't openly dated anyone in a while. I wouldn't judge you for hitting him up for some stress relief," Gale replies.

Silence falls between us as Gale ponders something.

"I think there is definitely something you are not telling Johanna and me. I don't know why you are not telling us but I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping whatever it is a secret. Just know that we are your best friends and are here if you need us," he says.

I give him a small smile. I feel guilty for lying to him and Johanna about Peeta. It's just easier for them both if they don't know. It's complicated enough as it is without more people knowing.

I change the subject by asking about the wedding but it soon becomes apparent that Gale doesn't know much about it and instead he goes into great detail about his plans for his bachelor party. It almost sounds grander than the wedding.

As midnight draws nearer most of my friends are quite tipsy and Johanna has resorted to table top dancing. The prospect of seeing Peeta soon, perks me up and I go to the bar to get a glass of water. I don't want to be too inebriated when I see him in about an hour.

The bartender takes my order and I lean my arms against the bar. I take the weight off my feet and sigh as the pressure is taken off them. While I'm waiting a pair of strong hands grab my waist and squeeze me tight. Someone bends down to whisper in my ear.

"You look fucking amazing in this dress," Darius whispers in my ear.

I try to squirm out of his grip but Darius just squeezes me tighter. I know he is a flirty drunk and it's not the first time he's made a pass at me, but now I'm with Peeta it makes me feel uncomfortable.

"You're drunk, Darius. Let me go," I say.

"Oh come on," Darius says with a slight slur to his voice. "Everyone wants a fuck on their birthday. We're friends. It'd be fun."

I wriggle a little more forcibly and manage to push him off me.

"I don't see you in that way. I thought you knew that," I say.

Darius sighs and shakes his head.

"I thought I would be doing you a favour. But then women always seem to change their mind," Darius says with a dispirited laugh.

I frown and shake my head at him.

"I'm going to put this whole conversation down to the fact you are drunk. You can't just come on to me every time you feel horny," I say.

Darius hangs his head and I think I hear him mutter something about never getting the girls he wants but he turns to leave, leaving me feeling very confused about the whole thing.

The whole incident just makes me want to get back to Peeta quicker so that I can feel the touch of the man I actually want. I make my excuses earlier than I anticipated and there is a chorus of moans as a result.

"It's only just past eleven! You can't leave your own party early!" Johanna exclaims.

"I'm not in the mood any more, Jo. You have fun for me," I reply.

Johanna huffs and shakes her head.

"Fucking, Darius! He's always had a thing for you. Do you want me to punch him in the balls?" Johanna asks.

I smile and shake my head.

"I don't really want to prosecute you in court for assault," I say.

Johanna shakes her head angrily but Cressida puts her arm around her to calm her.

"I'll keep her restrained," Cressida says with a smile.

I smile back and then turn to Prim. She looks disappointed that I'm leaving but accepts the hug I give her.

"I'm sorry you're leaving early," she says.

I smile as I pull back.

"I had a really good time. Thanks for planning it all," I reply.

Prim nods her head and then sighs.

"I guess it means you will see Peeta earlier," Prim says.

I search her face for any sign of bitterness but find none. She's resigned that's what I'm going to do.

"Even thought I don't agree with it, he really does care about you" she admits.

I smile at her and then pull her in for another hug.

"I love you," I tell her.

Prim smiles back at me and then I turn to wave goodbye to the rest of the party. There are more groans that I'm leaving early but they all wish me goodnight. As I leave I spy Darius chatting up some blonde at the bar. He's having more success this time and has his hands all over her. I'm glad that's not me.

* * *

I knock on Peeta's door and he answers in a pair of tight fitting black boxers. I immediately step into his arms and pull him close. I bury my head into his shoulder as I inhale his familiar musky scent. After the Darius incident I just want to feel close to him.

Peeta encases me in his arms and places a kiss on top of my head.

"Did you have a good night?" he asks.

I nod my head against his chest.

"I'm tired now though. Can we just cuddle?" I ask.

I feel Peeta smile against my head as he squeezes me tight.

"Always," he replies.

* * *

 **A/N: We're just over half way now so you won't have to wait too much longer for answers. I hope I've kept people intrigued.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

Peeta is beautiful in the mornings. It's not normally a word I use to describe a man but it fits Peeta perfectly this morning. He sleeps on his side with an arm slung around my waist. Any worry lines are removed from his face, making him look more boyish. His messy curls fall over his closed eyes and today the light streams through the drapes to brighten his golden waves. I smile as I watch him sleep before leaning in to wake him with a kiss. His eyelids flutter open and I'm rewarded with a sleepy smile.

"Can I be woken like this every morning?" Peeta asks, squeezing me closer to him.

I lean in to kiss him again. The kiss lingers as I snuggle into him.

"We'd be late for everything," I reply with a smile.

Peeta chuckles before releasing me and rolling onto his back.

"You're probably right. Your kisses are just too damn sweet," he replies.

I laugh and move to lie over his chest. I place my hand over his heart and enjoy the feeling of his heartbeat thumping underneath my fingertips.

We've had more moments like this since my birthday. Over the last two weeks it's been the comfort and contentment we've sought from each other and not the needy passion. It's been a long time since I've been this comfortable around a man.

Neither of us say anything for a while. It's Sunday so we have no need to rush anywhere. Peeta tangles his fingers in the ends of my hair and begins to twirl it around. I occupy myself by counting the beats of his heart.

"I want to show you something today," Peeta eventually says.

"Peeta, I've already seen your dick multiple times," I joke.

Peeta laughs and shakes his head.

"Not that. Something serious," he replies.

I raise my eyebrows, intrigued.

"I want to take you to my new house. All the structural work is done and they've just finished putting the kitchen in. I want you to be the first person to see it," he says.

"You really want me to be the first person to see it? What about your family? Your friends?" I ask.

"My family are too preoccupied with the trial and my friends haven't known how to speak to me since Ryan was arrested," Peeta says. I duck my head down at the mention of the case. "And I know you will appreciate its beauty the most."

I keep my head down as I chew my bottom lip. I'm flattered he wants to share this with me. He's talked animatedly about the house these last couple of months. And Peeta puts so much care and effort into everything he does that I know the house will be stunning. But the house is part of his future. I'm not sure I can be part of it as well.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Peeta says, sensing my apprehension. "The house isn't even finished. We can do something else today. Whatever you want."

His unselfishness makes up my mind.

"I'll go," I say, leaning in to kiss him. "I'll even buy you the first house plant for it."

"It will take pride of place on my mantelplace," Peeta replies, giving me a gentle squeeze.

I kiss him quickly again and then turn to roll out the bed.

"I suppose we should wash off the smell of sex before going to your house," I reply with a playful grin.

Peeta grins back at me before jumping out of bed and following me to the bathroom.

"I like the way you think," he says with a suggestive wink.

* * *

Once we've showered and eaten, Peeta drives us to the house. It's about an hour out of town and situated amongst open fields. A quaint little village is nearby which includes a cosy pub and a fantastic grocery store stocked full with local produce. When I ask Peeta about the commute into the city he tells me that he plans to work from home once the house is complete. Part of my heart sinks at the thought of him being so far away.

But I can see why he wants to move here. My breath is taken away when we eventually pull up outside the house. It is a large two storey brick house with massive bay windows and wrap around porch. I step out the car and approach the house in awe.

Peeta follows behind me until I come to a stop at the steps.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

I turn to answer him and am surprised by the nervous look in his eye. He wrings his hands in front of him and stares at me intently. I give him a broad smile.

"It's amazing, Peeta," I reply. "It may not be finished yet but I it already looks great. You could plant rose bushes along the front to add some colour and then plant some fruit trees in the yard to…"

I stop myself when I realise what I am suggesting. I blush and look at my toes.

"Sorry. I'm rambling. You don't need me to tell you what to do with your house," I say.

Peeta grins back at me and uses his finger to tip my chin back up. I only see warmth in his features when our eyes meet again.

"Your opinion means a lot to me," he says. "I have already planned to plant rose bushes at the front but I like the idea of planting fruit trees as well. I could make my own jam!"

I smile back at him, relieved. He gives me another smile before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and then slipping his hand down to take mine.

"Come on. Let me show you the rest of the house," he says, tugging on my hand. "The view at the back is the best bit."

I nod my head eagerly and let him lead me up the steps. I'm excited to see what he's done to the rest of the house.

Peeta makes me wear a yellow hard hat when I enter the large open foyer. Apparently, there is still a risk of debris falling but I soon forgot what an idiot I must look as Peeta takes me around the various unfinished rooms.

Each room is covered in dust and wires hang from holes in the ceiling but Peeta stands in the middle of each room and enthusiastically talks about his vision for each. He uses a lot of hand gestures and I smile at the passion he has for the project.

Each room seems to have a unique feature that gives the house more character than the average new build. There are pine beams in the bedrooms and a large open fireplace in the living room. I wander around with Peeta, completely engrossed in it all.

Peeta takes me to the kitchen last and it quickly becomes my favourite room in the house. The oak cabinets have just been fitted but I don't notice them. What draws me in are the large glass doors that open out onto a large terrace. I step towards them, amazed by the view in front of me.

The district mountains are in the distance with open countryside leading up to them. A silver stream winds through the fields and trees bend their branches to shade the ground. Birds and butterflies flit about and dive in the air. I smile at the sight.

But, while looking out at the view, it suddenly hits me. This is Peeta's forever home. He'll probably get married in the back yard. This is the house where he gives his pregnant wife foot rubs by the fire. I can picture him chasing his children outside and can almost hear their melodic sounds of laughter. And for some reason the thought of all this makes my heart ache.

I quickly turn away from the view and try to block the images out. The significance of Peeta bringing me here becomes apparent. Peeta has a clear picture of his future but I haven't thought about what is going to happen beyond the trial. Should Peeta have really brought me here if I'm not realistically going to be part of this future?

He comes up behind me and grins. He removes his hard hat so I remove mine too.

"I told you the view was the best bit about the house," he says.

I smile at him a little awkwardly. My sudden realisation still plays on my mind and I'm not sure where to go from here. But I can see how much my opinion matters to him. He needs to hear my praises.

"The house is close to perfect. It will be magnificent once it's finished," I reply with a slightly heavy heart.

Peeta doesn't pick up on my despondency and lets out a relieved sigh. He steps towards me and pulls me into him.

"I'm glad you like it. It's been so much fun planning it all. I was like a kid in the sweet shop choosing all the appliances for the kitchen. I'm planning to have this room more fully stocked than a five-star restaurant!" he exclaims.

I relax a little in his arms, not wanting to ruin a good day.

"That's just your way to make sure people still come and visit you once you've moved out of town. Your cooking is mouth-watering," I reply.

Peeta smiles at me again and reaches down to kiss me. He cups my cheek in his hand and I sigh into the kiss. Kissing him is a lot easier than contemplating our future.

I reach round to squeeze him tight to me and it doesn't take long for the kiss to intensify. Peeta slides his hands up into my hair to lock my head in place. My hands move back down to his ass to press his lower half closer.

"I think we need to christen this room before the health inspectors come around," I purr into his ear.

Peeta releases my head to hoist my leg up round his hip. He pushes his groin into me and I let out a gasp. I feel him begin to harden in his jeans.

"That may be the best idea you've ever had, Everdeen," he growls.

I let out a yelp as he swings me around, picks me up and then lays me down on the brand new counter top. His hands go to the button on my jeans and he peels them off me. My underwear and top soon follow and he watches me the whole time with a hunger in his eyes.

"You just lie back and enjoy yourself," he says.

I nod my head as I stretch back out on the counter top. I watch Peeta discard his own shirt before he slowly descends onto my body.

He goes straight to the spot on my neck that makes my legs feel like jelly and nips and sucks on the sensitive skin there. I mewl as he lavishes my skin and slowly moves down my body. He doesn't miss an inch of my skin and I let out an embarrassingly loud moan when he nips the skin at the top of my thighs. He places lots of slow kisses at the apex of my thighs and I raise my hips to encourage him towards my clit. But the bastard doesn't comply and continues to tease the skin around it. I begin writhing on the counter top and groan with frustration and pleasure.

"Peeta, please…" I whine.

Peeta smirks, removes his lips completely from my body and lightly skims a hand across my skin.

"Patience has never been your strong suit," he says while playfully tweaking my nipple.

I groan again and close my eyes. I can't stand to look at his smug smile any longer. Peeta chuckles lightly and gives my nipple one last tweak before plunging down to attack my clit. I cry out in pleasure as he uses short sharp licks to stimulate and rile me up.

One of my hands grasps the edge of the counter while I slide my other hand up to play with my breast. Peeta peeks up and groans when he sees what I am doing. The vibrations from his voice course through my whole body.

"You are the fucking sexiest thing I've ever seen," he growls.

I can't reply as he plunges two fingers inside of me and my back arches off the counter top. The hand on my breast falls hopelessly to my side and I just keep repeating fuck over and over again. The pressure inside of me continues to build until my walls eventually explode around Peeta's fingers, leaving me a panting, sweaty mess.

I continue to breath heavily as Peeta stands up and wipes my juices off with the back of his hand. He looks rather pleased with himself and smiles down at me triumphantly. He then bends down to finally kiss me on the lips. I can taste myself on him but like that I've left my mark on him. He pulls back quickly though and his hand reaches down to unbuckle his belt. He pulls down his jeans to reveal his erection straining against the fabric of his boxer briefs. Lust curls through my stomach again and if I had more energy I would reach out to help him out.

"I'm not done with you yet," Peeta says.

He steps out of his boxers and wraps a hand around his dick. I watch him stroke himself a few times and my hips raise up to try and be nearer him.

"I can't believe how fucking insatiable you make me," I moan.

Peeta grins at me and then tugs my bottom to the edge of the counter. He bends down to give me a fierce kiss and when he pulls back he holds his dick in his hand. He guides his dick to my slick folds and rubs the tip of it against my clit. I groan and push my head back against the counter. Slowly Peeta inches himself inside of me. It's a tortuously slow pace but glorious at the same time. He grabs my hips for leverage and starts with long, slow thrusts.

Peeta's eyes focus on to the point where we are joined and he watches himself sink into me again and again. The pleasure begins to build inside of me again but it soon becomes not enough. I buck my hips to encourage Peeta to go faster. Peeta picks up on my signal and gradually builds up the pace. The pleasure intensifies with each thrust and I squirm underneath him.

I'm annoyed that I can't touch him in this position so I sit up abruptly and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I kiss him fiercely and press my breasts close against his chest. Peeta is caught by surprise but only hesitates for a second before he kisses me back with equal intent.

We rock together and Peeta curses as he tears his lips away from me. He drops his forehead to my shoulder and continues to mutter a string of curse words as we both race towards our climaxes.

The sweat drips down our skin and I grasp onto Peeta as tightly as possible. One more rock and Peeta groans as he empties himself inside of me. This triggers my own orgasm and I cum for the second time in an hour. Peeta collapses onto the counter top and pulls me down with him. We both take a minute to catch our breath.

"Well the other rooms in the house have a lot to live up to," Peeta says with a grin.

I laugh and roll over to place my head on his chest.

"How many do you think we can christen before we leave?" I reply.

* * *

Peeta and I eventually leave the house sometime mid-afternoon. We don't put our clothes back on until five minutes before we leave.

I make Peeta stop at a garden centre on the way back home. I want to fulfil my promise of buying him his first plant for his house. Peeta shakes his head as we pull into the car park

"You really don't need to get me a plant. The house won't even be finished for another six months," he says.

"Haven't you realised by now that I am not easily dissuaded," I reply with a grin.

Peeta chuckles and I link my fingers with his as we walk into the centre.

"Your favourite colour is orange. I want to buy you the brightest orange plant I can," I declare.

Peeta shakes his head again.

"I should warn you that I don't have a good track record with keeping plants alive. This plant could very likely be dead by the time I move in," he replies.

It's my turn to shake my head.

"I expected better from you, Mellark," I reply.

Peeta grins and we stroll leisurely around the colourful aisles. We make a game of who can find the ugliest looking plant. Peeta takes the lead with a rather unattractive prickly brown thing but then I find the perfect orange monstrosity. The bright petals are arranged to make it look like a massive orange vagina.

"I've found your plant!" I declare triumphantly.

Peeta shakes his head as he inspects it.

"This will be fun explaining to my mom," he replies.

I grin wider and tuck the plant under my arm.

"The best $15 I will ever spend," I say.

Peeta smiles and we turn to head towards the checkout. However, as we do so I catch sight of a familiar set of bouncy blonde curls standing next to a tall dark man.

"Hide," I hiss.

I push Peeta down and urge him to hide under the nearby table. Peeta looks perplexed as I shove him under there but I turn away from him just in time to plaster on a smile for Delly. She and Thom have just caught sight of me and Delly smiles broadly and waves at me before heading over. She drags Thom behind her and he gives me a smile in greeting.

"Katniss, what a lovely surprise!" Delly says.

She throws her arms around me and I spy a glance down to check Peeta is hidden. He looks up at me with a frown but I think he realises what is happening. I beg with my eyes for him to stay quiet.

"It's a small world," I reply as Delly releases me.

My heart beats rapidly in my chest and my hands become sweaty. We've gone three months without getting caught. I almost forgot to fear it.

"It certainly is," Delly replies. "I finally managed to convince Thom to add some colour to his apartment. I thought some house plants were the perfect way to do so!"

"We're not buying anything pink or purple. I have enough of your girly crap lying around my house as it is," Thom says.

"Pssst," Delly says. "Your apartment is much homelier since you started dating me. Even your mom thinks so.

Thom throws me a look and we share a smile. Delly has been not so subtly changing the décor in his apartment from their first date.

I glance down at Peeta again. He's still squished underneath the table and has remained silent so far.

"Buying plants together. Things must be getting serious," I say.

Delly looks up lovingly at Thom and places a hand on his chest. He smiles sweetly back at her.

"I'm not missing the unsubtle hints to get me to ask her to move in with me," Thom replies.

"We'd save a lot of time and money if you did ask me. I like the thought of seeing you every day," Delly says.

"We see each other every day at the office," Thom points out.

Delly pouts a little but we all know that is the direction they are heading. Thom just needs to feel like a bachelor a little longer.

"You guys should definitely move in together. You're a great couple," I say.

I look down at Peeta again. I don't want to spend too long talking to them but also don't want to seem impolite. They are two of my best friends at work.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Delly asks.

She then spots the ugly orange plant in my hands and frowns at the sight.

"Oh. That's an interesting plant," she says.

I look down at it and move it in my hands. Peeta looks up curiously and I try to think of a good lie.

"Ah, yes. Johanna likes things shaped as vaginas so I thought it would make a good birthday present for her," I say.

Delly frowns again.

"Isn't her birthday in October? I seem to remember a lot of Halloween themed birthday parties," she replies.

I curse the fact she has such a good memory. I invited her to quite a few of Johanna's birthday parties when I first started working in the DA office in an effort to make new friends.

"Yes. But I just saw it now and thought it was perfect. I'll keep it alive until October," I say.

Delly obviously finds this strange and I pray for her to move on. I'm not good at lying. However, just when I think she's moved past it Peeta sneezes from below. Delly snaps her head in confusion.

"What was that?" she asks. "It sounded like it came from underneath the table."

I step further in front of the table Peeta is hiding under in an effort to shield him completely.

"What plants do you think will go best in Thom's house then?" I ask, trying to distract her.

Delly cranes her neck to try and look around me and I hold my breath as I wait for her to turn her attention back to me. Eventually she shakes her head and looks me in the eye. I let out an internal sigh of relief and try to focus only on her. Delly begins chattering about the plants she thinks are the most suitable for Thom's apartment but I am only half listening. I am too conscious of the man hiding by my feet.

Eventually Delly stops talking and she and Thom say goodbye and move on. I let out a huge sigh of relief once they've turned a corner and bend down to rest my hands on my knees. I wait until my heart rate goes back to normal before bending to look at Peeta.

"You wait here for a minute before leaving. We can't risk them seeing us leave together," I say.

Peeta nods his head and I turn to dash out the centre. I wait impatiently in the car for Peeta to join me. My feet jitter against the floor and I check my watch every few seconds. Peeta finally joins me and I urge him to hurry.

"That was too close," I say tersely.

Peeta only nods his head in agreement as we drive away.

We say nothing on the way home. I can't believe how lucky we were to get away with it. We were careless. The garden centre is not that far away from Panem. It's a miracle nobody else saw us.

I am so angry with myself. I'm normally so careful in all my goings on but I have let lust cloud my judgement. Something is always more appealing when it is forbidden. This relationship cannot have a good outcome.

I don't wait for Peeta as he locks his car and I walk up the stairs without him. Peeta follows me but I don't look at him as I enter my apartment and leave the door open for him. I hear his heavy footsteps approach the kitchen and he clears his throat to force me to look at him.

"We'll be more careful next time. We'll make sure to go further away," he says.

"There won't be a next time," I reply.

I hate the wounded look on his face after I say these words.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

I gulp before answering.

"We need to stop this. Today," I reply.

Peeta shakes his head firmly and takes a step towards me. He sticks his hands out to touch me but I flinch away. The wounded look comes back and I have to look away from him.

"You don't really want that. I know you don't want to throw us away," Peeta says.

I shake my head fiercely.

"I'm throwing everything away by being with you! Do you understand what would have happened if Thom and Delly caught us today? I would have lost my job. I would never be able to work again!" I exclaim.

Peeta shakes his head, refusing to believe what I am saying. I just can't believe how stupid I've been

"This is the wake-up call I needed. This is what Prim has tried to tell me for months. You may not have anything to lose but I will lose it all," I say.

"I've got nothing to lose?" Peeta says, anger in his voice for the first time. "You're prosecuting my brother. I'm betraying him every time I'm with you. My family will hate me if they find out."

"Exactly!" I shout. "You realise that your brother is going to prison? The evidence against him is huge. How will you be able to look at me once that happens?"

"Rye's innocent! And your DA office would know that if they investigated things properly," he exclaims. "You are an intelligent person, Katniss. I know you sense something about this case isn't right."

"You keep believing that if it makes you feel better. I know the facts and I'll make sure he goes to prison so he can't do it again," I reply.

I'm being cruel but I'm too angry at Peeta, too angry at myself to care. We have been stupid. This was always heading here. I can't stop myself from saying more. I know my next words will push him away.

"It's people like your brother that makes me wish we had the death penalty in this state," I state coolly.

My comments knocks all the air out of Peeta and his whole body deflates. My heart thumps and the adrenaline courses through my body. Eventually Peeta bows his head.

"You're right. We can't carry on. You're not the person I thought you were," he says.

I don't have a reply and he turns to walk out.

A tear slips down my cheek once I've heard the door slam.

* * *

 **A/N: I know some people will be disappointed that there was nothing more about the case in this chapter, but don't worry. The next 2 or 3 chapters will focus heavily on it as we race towards the truth. Once that happens, Everlark can edge closer to their HEA.**

 **Hope people are still enjoying and thanks for all the support.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

Prim and Thresh enter the apartment giggling and Thresh plants a kiss behind Prim's ear. My sister sinks back into his arms as he holds his hands round her middle. The two of them couldn't look more in love.

However, their playfulness stops when they see me sitting on the couch, wrapped in a patchwork quilt and eating Ben and Jerry's. Prim releases her hold on Thresh and comes rushing over to me.

"What's wrong, Katniss? Has something happened with the case?" she asks.

She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear before I shake my head. I take a breath to try and compose myself.

"You were right. Peeta and I can never work," I reply.

My voice cracks at the end and Prim doesn't hesitate to throw her arms around me. I return her embrace and squeeze her tight. I screw my eyes shut to stop myself form doing something stupid like cry.

Thresh takes a seat on the chair opposite us and gives me a sympathetic smile. I try to smile back at him but keep my tight hold on my sister. To her credit Prim doesn't say anything as she lets me have this moment of weakness.

"You can say I told you so now," I sniffle.

Prim pulls back and wipes away a stray tear that has slipped down my cheek. She gives me a smile.

"Yes. I always told you that Phish Food was the best Ben and Jerry's flavour," she replies.

I laugh as I look down at the flavour of ice cream lying on the table. Prim smiles back at me and places a comforting hand on my arm.

"I just hate to see you hurting," she replies. "What happened today?"

I smile at her gratefully. I'm glad she isn't smug about being right. I take another deep breath before recalling the events of earlier today. Prim gives me the time to retell it at my own pace and nods in all the right places. She doesn't question me until I've finished.

"Jesus. You really went for the kill with the death penalty comment. That wasn't cool," she says.

I sniff loudly and hang my head.

"I just wanted him out the apartment. I said the one thing that I knew would force him to leave. It's definitely not my finest moment," I reply, shamefully.

Prim gives me a sad smile.

"It's easier if he hates me. That way we can both move on quicker," I add.

Prim shakes her head and then pulls me in for another hug.

"I'm so sorry. I know how much you liked him," she says.

I nod my head.

"When he took me to his house today I could picture myself living there. I could imagine being his wife and baking cookies in the kitchen with our children. I've never thought that far ahead with a man before," I say.

Prim gives me a sympathetic smile and rubs a soothing hand on my back. She looks over to Thresh and they share a look. In that moment, I am jealous of the certainty in their relationship.

"You don't want to be with him anyway. I saw him running in the park wearing a pink vest the other day. It didn't compliment his skin tone," Thresh jokes.

I smile and I'm grateful for them both as they try to cheer me up.

"Do you want to order pizza and watch a few episodes of _Friends_?" Prim asks. "Thresh still hasn't seen the episode with Brad Pitt yet."

I turn to raise my eyebrow at my sister's boyfriend.

"I thought Prim challenged you to watch every episode. I'm disappointed in you, Thresh," I reply.

Thresh shrugs his shoulders with a grin.

"There are over two hundred episodes. I can't watch them all in one sitting," he says.

"And yet you can watch five straight hours of _Ice Road Truckers_ ," Prim points out.

"Now that is real drama," Thresh says animatedly. "They risk their lives driving those things!"

Prim rolls her eyes before scrolling through Netflix to find the appropriate episode of _Friends_. She leaves Thresh rambling on about what makes _Ice Road Truckers_ so good. I sink back into the cushions and make a promise to myself to not think about Peeta for the rest of the night. Hopefully _Friends_ will provide the perfect distraction.

* * *

I sleep horribly that night. It takes me ages to fall asleep as I toss and turn in my bed. I get too hot so throw the covers off me but then get cold again and curl back up inside of them. When I do eventually find sleep my dreams are full of Peeta and the life we could have had. I dream of holiday card photos in matching Christmas sweaters and camping out in the back yard in the fort our children made. It may be the most torturous dream I've ever had.

I wake at 5am and decide to give up on sleep. I throw back the covers and get ready to go into the office. At least at this hour I am unlikely to bump into Peeta in the hallways.

I have a lot of work waiting for me when I get in. I spent so much of the weekend with Peeta that I didn't get anything extra done at home. But now I am grateful for it. It will keep me busy and hopefully stop me from missing him. However, yesterday's bad night's sleep and emotional toil make me lethargic and slow. Rather than distracting me from the case it just reminds me why Peeta and I broke up in the first place.

I didn't put any make-up on this morning and I must look like a mess because Thom comments on it when he arrives in the office two hours later.

"Jesus, Everdeen. You look like shit. What happened after Delly and I left you yesterday?" he asks.

I try to keep myself composed when I answer. If I burst into tears he'll know something is very wrong.

"I think I ate some bad food last night. I didn't sleep very well," I reply.

Thom nods his head sympathetically.

"It wasn't that new Portuguese restaurant, was it? My uncle swears their chicken made him sick last weekend," he says.

I shake my head but don't elaborate. I'm not in the mood for small talk this morning. I fix my gaze on the papers in front of me to encourage Thom to go. Thom doesn't take the hint though and carries on talking.

"The garden centre trip yesterday was a success. Delly was so pleased she got her way that she did some very dirty things to me last night. I'm getting a boner right now just thinking about it," Thom says.

I let out a loud exhale as I look up from my desk.

"Stop talking to me like I'm one of your bros!" I snap. "I don't want to know!"

Thom recoils at my outburst and is shocked into silence. I know instantly that I shouldn't have snapped at him but part of me is angry because he and Delly caused the argument with Peeta yesterday. And I don't want to hear how well their relationship is going while mine has crashed and burned. I hang my head in my hands and rub my temples.

"I'm sorry, Thom. I'm just stressed about the case. I shouldn't have taken it out on you," I apologise.

Thom nods his head slowly.

"I get it. I'll leave you to get on with it," he says.

I thank him for being understanding and Thom edges slowly back until he ducks out the door of my office. I let out a heavy sigh and place my head on the table.

I feel worse later in the day when I come back to find a pastry from Thom placed on my desk. I don't deserve friends like him and know I must do something to make it up to him.

* * *

Madge's neighbour, Mrs Flanagan, drops by the office in the afternoon to go over her testimony in court. With the trial only a couple of months away I intend to ask her some of the questions she will have to answer on the stand. Unfortunately, she too notices my grey complexion.

"Oh, my dear child! You look ill," she says.

She rummages around her purse until she pulls out a hard-boiled candy and presents it to me.

"Do you want some candy, dear?" she asks.

I smile gratefully as I accept the candy off her. Sugar always helps to cheer me up. I can see why Madge found it easy to open up to her. Mrs Flanagan still looks at me with concern.

"Thank you. You are very kind," I say.

Madge's neighbour shakes her head.

"I'm only doing what any decent person would do. Life is too short to spend long being upset," she says.

I smile again as I pop the candy in my mouth and gather up my papers. I can only hope I can live to her motto.

"We're going to run through the questions I will ask you on the stand. These won't change and you can practise your answers as many times as you like. Just answer with the truth and you'll be fine," I say.

Mrs Flanagan nods her head and folds her hands in her lap.

"I've been practising already in front of the mirror. I won't let Madge down in the courtroom," she says determinedly.

I smile at her again before making sure she is comfortable.

Mrs Flanagan is a pro answering the pre-determined questions I ask. She speaks clearly and sincerely and sticks to the facts. But her close relationship with Madge also comes through and I know the jury will struggle to keep a dry eye at some points. I wish all witnesses were as good as this.

I close my file once we've finished and am so glad that at least one thing has gone well today.

"That was excellent, Mrs Flanagan. You are one of our key witnesses," I say.

Mrs Flanagan smiles at me sadly.

"I wish I didn't have to. I still can't get my head around the fact she's gone. It was comforting to hear her moving about next door. Now all I hear is silence," she says.

I smile sympathetically at her as I move some papers on my desk. However, I knock a pile over and it tumbles across the desk. I curse internally and reach out to frantically rearrange them. Mrs Flanagan also reaches out to help me and I smile gratefully at her. She shares my smile but this soon turns into a frown when she spies a picture of Andrew Marvel. She picks it up and studies it carefully.

"I recognise this man. I saw him the week Madge was killed," she says.

I snap my head up and look at Mrs Flanagan.

"Where did you see him?" I ask.

"He knocked into me in the hallways. I nearly went tumbling down the stairs but he just glared at me when I called him out for it. He didn't seem like a nice man," she replies.

"That's Andrew Marvel. He was Madge's ex," I say.

There is a flicker of recognition in her eyes when I say his name.

"So that's the infamous Marvel. He caused Madge almost as many problems as Ryan. The only reason she stopped arguing with him that week is because she started arguing with Ryan," Mrs Flanagan says.

I nod my head.

"And you are sure you saw him the week of the murder?" I ask.

"Positive. I saw Madge just after actually. I remember complaining about him to her. Though his presence explains why she was in such a bad mood after," she replies.

I nod my head again as Mrs Flanagan states she better be going. But I'm only half listening to her. My mind is whirring. What does it mean that Marvel was seen in her apartment only a few days before her death? According to friends, Madge tried to avoid him at all costs.

This case has always felt odd to me and it keeps getting more confusing.

* * *

Coin waits for me after I show Mrs Flanagan out. She looks angry and points her finger in the direction of her office. I gulp, wondering what I have done now. However, once I've followed her inside, I realise she isn't angry with me.

"I got sent this link just a few moments ago. It seems Abernathy is up to some cheap tricks," Coin says.

She swivels the computer screen to show me the web page. I lean forward to read the gaudy text. It's an advertisement for the Caesar Flickerman show tonight. Flickerman is a local talk show host with a great sense of flair and panache. His show specialises in real people and is filled with stories of reunited long lost relatives and miraculous cancer survivors. It is one of the most watched shows in the state and he has a fantastic way of gaining sympathy for even the most pathetic people.

Which is of course why Coin is so concerned about tonight's guests. Next to the large image of Caesar Flickerman are the blond figures of Mr and Mrs Mellark. The tag line underneath promises the viewers the untold story of Ryan Mellark.

Coin shakes her head as I read the page for more details.

"This isn't Abernathy's usual style. I think these types of interviews should be banned," Coin says.

I nod my head in agreement. We can't stop potential jurors from watching this tonight. And Caesar Flickerman could convince some to be more sympathetic towards Ryan. It makes our job harder if jurors come into the courtroom believing he is innocent.

"You'll have to stay late to watch it with me. Hopefully we will be able to do damage control," Coin adds.

I nod my head again. After what happened yesterday, watching the Mellarks is the last thing I want to do. But I still have a job to do.

Coin is in a bad mood for the rest of the day. She snaps orders at people and shouts at anyone who gets too close to her. I'm jealous of all the people that get to go home early while I am left stuck in the office with her.

We order Chinese food and sit in Coin's office with chopsticks and pads of paper. Coin jabs her chopstick into a carton and munches nosily.

"They'll be really eloquent about it all," Coin muses. "It won't even take much for people to take their side."

I nod my head but save my judgements until the programme has finished. Moments later the theme tune for the show starts and Caesar appears on the screen in a dark purple suit. He stands in the centre of the stage and looks solemnly down the camera lens. The studio is dark apart from the spotlight on him.

"Five months ago Panem suffered a tragic loss. Madge Undersee was a smart and beautiful woman who was cared about by all that knew her. But her young life was brutally put to an end one cold winter's night," Caesar begins.

At this point he pauses and puts a hand on his chest. After a moment, he lets out a shuddering breath and recomposes himself. I snort at the fake grief.

"The day after her body was found, her fiancé, Ryan Mellark, was arrested and charged with her murder," he carries on.

An image of Ryan and Madge appears on the screen. The picture looks like it was taken at a wedding as Ryan is in a good fitting navy suit while Madge wears a sky blue floral dress. Her sapphire engagement ring is displayed proudly on her left hand. The couple gaze into each other's eyes and Madge laughs at some joke. Ryan looks at her like he is the luckiest guy in the world. No one looking at the picture would doubt their love for each other.

"But there are two sides to every story. So far, we have just heard the prosecution's side of events. Tonight, I intend to bring you the story the prosecution don't want you to hear. A story of true love, an abusive ex-boyfriend and suspicious police evidence. So many people have already condemned Ryan Mellark, but I am a strong believer of innocent until proven guilty," Caesar says.

Coin and I share a look and she shakes her head at me. I don't think we will come out looking good from this.

The camera pans back to show Mr and Mrs Mellark sitting on a red couch. I'm reminded just how much Peeta looks like his father with the square jaw and broad shoulders. Their eyes are even the exact same shade of blue. The pang of longing hits me hard and unexpectedly.

"I welcome tonight, Wheaton and Caroline Mellark, the parents of the currently incarcerated Ryan Mellark!" Caesar announces.

Mr and Mrs Mellark manage a weak smile as Caesar comes over to join them. Both parents have clearly tried to look presentable tonight. Their clothes are neatly pressed and Mrs Mellark wears expensive pearl jewellery. But you can't hide the gauntness in their cheeks. Mrs Mellark is particularly thin and fragile looking. No amount of make-up can hide the paleness of her skin and the dark bags are prominent underneath Mr Mellark's eyes. Neither look like they have slept properly in months.

Caesar leans forward to place a sympathetic hand on Mrs Mellark's arms.

"Welcome to the show," he says. The Mellarks give him a small smile. "I wish I could have invited you on in better circumstances. I can't imagine how this ordeal has been for you. How are you holding up? Or more importantly, how is Ryan?"

"We all have our ways of coping," Mr Mellark says. "But Ryan has it the hardest. He's grieving for his fiancée while being stuck in a hell hole. It frustrates him that so few people believe him."

"But you believe him. And I want to believe him too. What makes you believe he's innocent?" Caesar asks.

"Because I know my son. He loved Madge more than anything in the world. And all the evidence they have against him is circumstantial at best," Mrs Mellark says.

Caesar nods his head.

"Yes, some of the evidence does look suspicious. But we'll get to that later. Have you spoken to Ryan recently?" he asks.

Mrs Mellark nods her head.

"I spoke with him today and he sounds so defeated. My son was so carefree and cheeky. I'm worried all that will be destroyed even if we do get him out," she replies.

"Do you worry that prison will change him then? Make him more of a criminal?" Caesar asks.

"No. I'm just worried it's going to crush his soul," Mrs Mellark replies.

Caesar nods his head with sympathetic understanding and then looks down to shuffle the cards in his hands.

"Ryan is in a horrible situation but I've found that it is often just as hard for the family. At least Ryan knows what is happening to him in jail, but you must fear for him on a daily basis," Caesar says.

"It's harder than you realise," Mr Mellark replies. He takes his wife's hand and they share a sad smile. "And it's not just the worry for Ryan that never goes away. We get hate mail and our friends have stopped talking to us. The media always focuses on the victim's family but the accused's family are either forgotten about or blamed for creating a monster."

Mrs Mellark nods her head in agreement.

"I say it's been hardest on our youngest son," she says.

My heart stops and my grip on my pen tightens at the mention of Peeta. I cast a side glance at Coin and pray she doesn't sense my unease.

"Ah, yes," Caesar says. "You have two other sons, Brandon and Peter."

The Mellarks nod their heads. An image of the three brothers appears on screen. They are children in the picture taken at the beach. They all wear multi-coloured swim shorts and smile proudly up at the camera as they present the large crab they found. Mrs Mellark begins talking again as the image on screen changes to a more recent picture of the brothers. In this one they all have their arms around each other as they wear matching gaudy Christmas sweaters. My heart clenches at the sight of Peeta and I have to turn away to blink away a tear. I didn't think it would be this painful to see him.

"It's hard for Bran, obviously. But Peeta and Rye always had a special bond," Mrs Mellarks says.

"Rye is the nickname you have for Ryan," Caesar confirms.

"Yes. As is Peeta. Rye was actually the first word Peeta ever said and it kind of stuck with Ryan ever since. The two of them were inseparable as kids. One time Ryan fell out a tree and broke his arm so Peeta did the same thing so he could match his brother," Mrs Mellark says.

She smiles fondly at the memory. But the sadness soon reappears in her eye. Her boys aren't that innocent any more.

"Since Rye's been locked away, Peeta has shut himself off from his friends. He was always so sociable but now hardly anyone sees him. I'm worried I'll lose him too," she says.

I gulp at her words. I didn't know this about Peeta. I never stopped to think why he never seemed to have any other plans or question the exhaustion in his eyes. I feel guilty for not understanding the emotional turmoil he was feeling. I was selfish when I accused him of not being under pressure yesterday. He's having a worse time of it than me. I used him as my own selfish distraction but never thought how it was affecting him. I should have never have kissed him three months ago. I was never going to be able to help him. I was only ever going to cause him more pain.

I watch the rest of the interview with my head hung in shame. It's difficult to hear the Mellarks talk of their idyllic family life. They were so happy and my heart aches for Peeta. He didn't deserve this to happen to him and I realise just how cruel my words to him were yesterday. I should have never have said them.

It also becomes clear how much the family adored Madge. Mrs Mellark talks about spa trips the two took together while Mr Mellark recalls a time she beat all boys on a tennis court. Her death has been hard on them too, maybe even more so because they feel like they don't have the right to grieve her.

Caesar asks all the right questions and the sense of helplessness that the Mellarks feel is obvious. Caesar talks in such a way that makes you want to reach into the TV screen and hug them and even I want to believe that Ryan is innocent.

But it gets worse when the Mellarks question the validity of the evidence gathered.

"So much of the DNA evidence was found after multiple searches. How did they miss it the first few times?" Mr Mellark asks.

"Are you suggesting that the evidence was planted?" Caesar asks, feigning surprise.

Mr Mellark shrugs his shoulder.

"I'm not here to speculate but it wouldn't surprise me if the real culprit has a link with the cops," he replies.

"So who do you think killed her? Even after all you've told us tonight, Madge is still dead. If Ryan didn't kill her someone else did," Caesar says.

Both Mellarks duck their heads and nod solemnly. Mrs Mellark is the first to bring her head back up to reply.

"We want Madge's true killer to be caught just as much as anyone else. And not just because of Rye. She was like a daughter to us," she replies. "But I want to reiterate what my husband said earlier. We're not here to speculate. We do know our son was the only person questioned as a suspect. The police didn't bother questioning Andrew Marvel, Madge's possessive ex-boyfriend who had recently got back in touch or her boss, Seneca Crane, who threatened her after she discovered his affair."

Coin huffs in frustration. So the defence know about the Seneca Crane texts. When I called Thread back he said that Crane had an alibi but didn't elaborate on what it was. I'm sure the defence will find a way to work Crane into the trail. If there is any doubt at all that the police didn't do their job properly it could end up disastrous for us.

"We're not saying they committed the murder but they should have been questioned thoroughly. The police and DA's office made the case a bit of a witch hunt against my son," Mrs Mellark continues.

Coin shakes her head fiercely again and crosses her arms defensively against her chest.

"Well let's hope that the ineptitude of the Panem Police Force doesn't send an innocent man to jail," Caesar says.

Caesar then address the audience directly and we cut to a commercial break. Coin lets out a frustrated sigh.

"This will be on all the front pages tomorrow. We need to make sure that the public sympathies stay on our side," she says.

I nod my head but once again question how this case has been handled. I still feel like something is missing.

-x-

I leave the office after the show is finished and begin my journey home. I'm exhausted and struggle to keep my eyes open as I drive. Once I get back to the apartment I trudge up the stairs, planning a hot bath before I go to bed. But half way up the stairs I stop and freeze. Peeta walks down towards me. He spots me too and his face goes cold. I winch at the intensity of his stare and feel guilty about how cruel I was to him yesterday. I open my mouth to apologise, knowing it won't be even begin to make up for my words yesterday.

"I'm so sorry. Everything that happened was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things…."

I say this all quickly but trail off when I see what Peeta has in his hands. I was so surprised to see him that I didn't notice it to begin with. He holds a large cardboard box full of his things and has a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Are you going somewhere?" I ask.

My heart starts to beat rapidly in my chest and a sense of panic sets in.

"I'm moving back to my parents. I can't live here anymore," he says.

I open my mouth to protest. To say he doesn't need to move out just because of me but Peeta cuts me off with a shake of the head.

"It's too hard, Katniss," he says.

The barrier drops and pain fills his eyes. My hearts plummets. I don't want to cause him any more misery. So I step aside and let him go.

* * *

 **A/N: I know people are eager for Katniss to dig further into the investigation and find out the truth, and it's coming. With Peeta out the picture for now all her attentions are going to be on the case and there are some revelations coming very soon.**

 **Hope everyone is still intrigued!**


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12_

Prim, Thresh and I drive up to my parents' house for my dad's birthday. I've been neglectful of them since the start of the case and Dad practically guilt tripped me into coming this weekend. I've even packed some hiking gear for later today. After all the stress in Panem, I think a leisurely hike is just what I need to clear my mind.

Dad waits for us on the porch and greets us with a wide smile and open arms. Mom's got him to dress up for the occasion and he wears a crisp blue shirt and beige corduroys. She's even got him to brush his dark hair and shave the usual stubble that graces his chin. However, his muddy hunting boots peak out from the bottom of his pants.

Dad folds me into his arms and I bury my head into his shoulder. He rests his chin on top of my head and I forgot just how good it feels to be embraced by him. He always makes me feel safe and secure.

"I'm glad you still recognise your old man. It's been too long since we last saw you," he says.

I smile into his chest.

"Your grey hairs have multiplied tenfold," I say, lifting my head off his chest.

Dad chuckles and runs a hand through his greying hairs.

"There was a bit of a hair dying disaster a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say I ended up looking a bit like a smurf," Dad says.

I laugh and shake my head.

"I've missed you," I say.

Dad grins at me and puts his arm around my shoulder.

"So have we. You should see how much food your mom has cooked. She's cooked all your favourites," he replies.

Just then Mom walks out the door. She is Prim's double and looks very elegant today in a green tea dress with her blond hair pulled back off her face. She gives Prim a hug and accepts the bottle of wine we brought. She then turns to me and gives me a hug too.

"Welcome home. The place has been too quiet without you girls," she says.

"I find that hard to believe with Uncle Hunter and Dad about. Didn't they end up breaking Grandma's vase after a heated game of chess recently?" I reply.

Mum chuckles.

"Your dad decided to invent speed chess. I've never seen your uncle to move so fast," she says. She then tips her head to whisper in my ear. "And to be honest, I always hated that vase."

We share a smile and then turn our heads to look at Prim and Dad. They've just finished their own hug and Thresh steps forward to offer his hand to Dad.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr Everdeen," Thresh says.

Dad takes his hand reluctantly and nods his head.

"Glad to see you sober this time, Thresh," Dad replies.

Thresh blushes as they drop hands. Prim sighs from beside them.

"Ah, yes," Thresh laughs, a little awkwardly. "Your whiskey collection was very impressive."

Dad stares back at Thresh, unamused. On our last visit home, Thresh got really drunk and struggled to stay on his feet by the end of the night. Dad has never been good at dealing with the boyfriends Prim and I have brought home. He's very protective of us both and I think he enjoys giving our other halves a hard time. Even after two years he still hasn't softened that much towards Thresh.

"Lots of people got drunk that day, Daddy," Prim says.

Dad raises his eyebrows.

"But no one else ended up passed out in the bathroom," Dad points out.

Thresh blushes again and looks down at his feet. He shifts about a little uncomfortably.

"No alcohol for me today. I'm designated driver," Thresh replies.

"I'm glad to hear it," Dad says. "Are you a good driver? No speeding fines or parking tickets?"

Mom shakes her head and steps forward to slip her arm through Dad's.

"That's enough interrogation now, Heath. Let's go inside and pop open a bottle of wine. Your dad made the salmon canapes and he's very proud of them," Mom says.

I raise my eyebrows as we all turn to follow my parents into my house.

"You're becoming very domesticated, Dad," I say.

"Your mother is worried that I'm not going to have enough hobbies when I retire in a couple of years. She signed us up for cooking class in the village hall," he replies.

"I hope you wear Mom's pink apron when you cook," Prim says with a grin.

Mom turns to us with a smile.

"Your father looks rather fetching in it. He particularly likes the frills," she replies.

I laugh. Dad likes to sing while he cooks and I can clearly picture him prancing about the kitchen in the frilly apron.

"Please tell me there is photographic evidence of this!" I say.

Mom pauses to think for a moment.

"I may have a couple on my phone…" she ponders.

Prim and I share a grin.

"Only real men wear pink," Thresh pitches in.

"So I take it you don't have any pink in your wardrobe then, Thresh?," Dad replies.

Thresh forces a smile and I shake my head. Mom disappears into the kitchen to fetch the salmon while dad opens a bottle of wine. He pours glasses for everyone expect Thresh and instead hands him a plastic cup of water.

"At least you won't have to worry about staining the carpet this time," Dad says as he passes the glass to Thresh.

"Haha," Thresh replies. "I'm such a big klutz. I almost squished a dog yesterday after I tripped over a bench."

Dad barely gives him a smile.

"We'll leave you behind when we go hunting then," Dad says.

Prim sighs and comes to stand beside Dad.

"Did Thresh tell you that he's just been approved by the bank to set up his own physiotherapy centre? He's hoping to have it up and running by the end of the year," Prim says.

Dad raises his eyebrows.

"Is this the first business you will have run?" he asks.

Thresh nods his head.

"Yes. But I did a minor in business in my undergrad degree so know all the basics," Thresh replies.

Dad nods his head as he swirls the wine around in his glass.

"Though it's a lot different in reality," Dad says.

"You could give him some tips then, Dad," I say. "You've been running your hunting and fishing business for thirty-five years."

"I would be grateful for any advice you could give me, Mr Everdeen," Thresh says.

Dad ponders it for a moment and then nods his head.

"I'd be happy to help you. Books can only teach you so much. Experience is vital," he says.

Thresh nods his head and gives him a relieved smile. Mom then comes back through with the tray of salmon and Dad rushes over to boast about his creations. Prim leans in to whisper in Thresh's ear.

"You'll probably regret accepting Dad's help. He'll probably try to change everything in your business plan," Prims says.

"Anything that gets him talking to me. I want to prove to him that I am good enough for his daughter," Thresh replies.

Prim smiles sweetly back at him and leans up to plant a kiss on his lips. A cough from Dad interrupts them.

"Not under my roof," he says.

Prim pulls back and rolls her eyes.

"I'm twenty-seven, Dad," she says.

"And you still won't get to share a room with a boy in this house until you are married," Dad replies.

Prim sighs and I smirk. Prim sees and shakes her head.

"I don't know what you are grinning about. We all know you are the favourite daughter. He's going to be ten times worse to the guy you bring home," Prim says.

That wipes the smile off my face. But then my heart sinks a little at the thought that I don't have any one to bring home. Who knows when I will feel the way I did about Peeta again? And remembering Peeta just reminds me of my shame over the way I treated him.

Prim must realise her mistake because she gives me an apologetic smile.

Mom comes up beside me and offers me some salmon. I smile back at her and take one off the tray.

"Are you still seeing that man? The blond one Ripper saw you with. She said he was very handsome," Mom says.

I look down at the ground again and shake my head.

"No. Things didn't work out," I reply.

Mom gives me a sad smile.

"That's a shame. Ripper was very charmed with him. Said she might steal him off you," Mom says.

"I'll give Ripper his number then," I reply.

I try to force a smile but my family know me too well and can sense I don't want to talk about it. Prim quickly changes the subject to what is happening at her work. I let out a relieved sigh but turn to find my dad watching me carefully. He looks at me with a mixture of worry and sadness.

We all give Dad his presents and he opens them all enthusiastically. He spends a long time trying to master simple tunes on the wooden flute I got him. Laughter soon fills the room and Dad even relaxes enough to be nice to Thresh. Lunch is served soon after and we slowly eat through the mountain of food Mom prepared.

"You can't beat home cooked food. Thresh and I have been living off takeaways recently," Prim says as she piles her plate high with food.

"At least one of you needs to learn to cook if you're going to get married," Mom says.

Prim rolls her eyes.

"Times are different now, Mom," she says.

"Most people eat out in Panem anyway. Everyone is too busy to cook," I point out.

My mind briefly flits back to Peeta. His cooking was some of the best home cooked food I had in Panem.

"Are you eating at all, Katniss?" Mom asks. "You've gotten very thin."

She reaches out and places a hand on my arm. I sigh and look down at my plate.

"The case keeps me busy. Sometimes I miss a meal," I reply.

Mom sighs and shakes her head.

"I'm slightly worried, Katniss. I could never get you to stop eating as a kid. I was really concerned you'd end up be overweight. But thankfully you spent so much time running about outside that never happened," Mom says.

"I still love to eat," I reply.

Mom purses her lips and nods her head. It's clear she thinks I need to eat more. I don't tell her that I've lost my appetite since I ended things with Peeta. All food not made by him doesn't seem as appealing.

"How are things going with the case? I know you were worried that Caesar Flickerman's show would sway public opinion," Dad asks.

"It got people questioning the standard of the police investigation. The Post even did a follow up article about the missteps in the case. But we did a poll and most people think a framed defence is clutching at straws," I say.

Mom nods her head.

"I did feel sorry for Ryan's family though. They seemed perfectly loving and nice parents. It makes you wonder what they did to deserve it," Mom says.

"It was all just an act," Dad says. "They must have done something to make their son that way. I'm a strong believer in nature vs nurture."

"Maybe," I say shrugging my shoulders. "But it was an Oscar worthy performance if it was an act. The public often forget that the accused's family suffers too."

Everyone nods their heads and the table is silent for a moment while everyone eats. Eventually Mom speaks up again.

"It's just sad that two families' lives have been ruined because of the action of one person. Madge Undersee is going to haunt them all for the rest of their lives," Mom says.

I look back at her and nod my head in agreement. I hope for Peeta's shake that he can move on from this. But I'm not so sure.

* * *

After lunch we decide to go for a short hike in the District Mountains. Mom stays behind to do the washing up but the rest of us all change into hiking gear and set out on a familiar path. I tip my head back to let the sun hit my face when we get outside. I deeply inhale the fresh smells of the countryside.

"How long has it been since you've been outside?" Dad asks as he comes up beside me.

I turn to him with a smile.

"Too long. This is just what I need today," I reply.

Dad smiles back at me and gives my shoulder a little squeeze.

"Good," he says.

He then turns back to look at Prim and Thresh. Prim is fussing about with a water bottle while Thresh stands looking unimpressed as she tries to place the bottle in a variety of different pockets. Dad rolls his eyes and I grin.

"How much quicker do you think we can beat them to the top?" he asks.

I grin.

"We can't get too far ahead. You know Prim's sense of navigation is terrible," I reply.

Dad laughs and shakes his head. He then raises his hand to his mouth

"Hurry up, you two! The bears will come out soon!" he shouts.

Prim finally stuffs the water bottle in a side pocket and they turn to join us.

"We don't get bears here, Dad," Prim says.

"By the time it took you to get ready they may have started migrating to Seam," Dad says with a grin.

Prim smiles and shakes her head and then we all set off into the trees.

The walk is pleasant and just hard enough to work up a bit of a sweat. Prim and Thresh slow us down as they keep stopping to take photos to share on social media. Dad and I huff and shake our heads as they share their life online.

"No one cares if you saw a bush that looks like Leonardo Dicaprio," I despair.

"I don't know another man who likes taking so many photos of himself, Thresh," Dad adds.

"Mom did consider modelling for me when I was a kid," Thresh says with a grin.

Dad shakes his head as we wait for them to catch up. Prim smiles at us brightly.

"We're just promoting this walk for other people," Prim says as she puts her phone away.

"No. You just want to show people how cute you and Thresh are together," I reply.

Prim pouts but she knows I'm partially right. We carry on walking but it doesn't take long for Prim and Thresh to fall behind again.

Dad and I eventually reach the top of the hill, before Prim and Thresh, although we can hear them jabbering a little further down. I clamber up onto a rock and look out at the view in front of me. It is one of my favourites in Seam. The forest stretches out in front of us until it breaks into a colourful meadow at the bottom. I sigh as I take it all in.

Dad comes up beside me and we spend a quiet moment looking out at it. Prim and Thresh have gone silent and I turn to see if I can spot them but they are still out of sight. Dad turns to catch my eye.

"What's the bet they've found a tree to make out under?" he asks.

I smile and shake my head.

"Thresh is a pretty nice guy. You should ease up on him. He'd die before he would hurt Prim," I say.

Dad shrugs his shoulders.

"It's not easy for a dad to see his daughter with a boyfriend. I spend a large amount of time trying not to think what they get up to at night," Dad says with a grimace.

I smile again.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Dad. Prim and I are both virgins," I say.

Dad looks appalled and shakes his head.

"Please don't talk about it. It will give me nightmares," he says.

I laugh and we go back to looking at the view.

"You really liked the boy. The blond one you just broke up with," Dad suddenly says.

I snap my head round to look at him.

"Why do you say that?" I ask.

Dad looks at me sadly.

"I saw how you shut down when your mom mentioned him. If you didn't care about him you would have made a joke about what an idiot he was," Dad says.

I look away and let out a long breath. I haven't talked about Peeta since that night. I haven't seen him since he moved out. Already a dull ache appears in my heart.

"Did he break your heart?" Dad asks.

There's a protective tone in Dad's voice and I close my eyes to shake my head.

"I was the one that hurt him," I admit. "I was horrible to him."

Dad's features soften and he pulls me into his side. He places a kiss on top of my head.

"Oh, Katniss. Can you fix it?" he asks.

I shake my head and lean it against his shoulder.

"Circumstances mean we can't be together," I say.

A tear slips down my cheek and dad squeezes me tight. We can hear Prim and Thresh's voices again and they sound like they are getting nearer. I hastily wipe the tear away. I don't want them to see me upset again.

"Just so you know. I hate him. Whoever he is. Even if you were to blame, I don't like anyone that makes my little girl cry," he says.

I smile and give him one last squeeze. I don't deserve Dad's protectiveness. I know he would be disappointed in me if he found out the truth but I don't know how to reach out and apologise to Peeta without hurting him more.

Prim and Thresh appear a moment later and Dad I break apart to turn to look at them. We both smile at each other when we notice Prim's braid has become undone.

"This is really a great view, Mr Everdeen," Thresh says as he comes up to join us.

Dad nods his head but then catches my eye to check I'm alright. I nod my head to reassure him before pushing Peeta out of my head once again.

* * *

The journey back down the hill is a lot quicker without Prim and Thresh taking photos every ten seconds. When we arrive back at the house Mom has homemade lemonade waiting for us and we all slurp it down greedily. The board games follow soon after and it doesn't take long for me to forget my conversation with Dad at the top of the hill. I go home the next day feeling a lot more relaxed and rested. Mom fills the trunk of the car full of leftovers and strict instructions that I need to eat more.

On Monday I pack a cool bag filled with some leftover potato salad and couscous and take it into work. At lunch time I make sure to eat it as I do some work in my office. The phone rings mid bite and I reluctantly put down my fork to answer it.

"Hey, Katniss. It's Sergeant Cray. I'm just getting back to you about the Seneca Crane texts you sent through to us. Sorry it took so long for someone to get to them. I only just found them buried underneath a mountain of paper work waiting to be shredded. I don't know how it got into that pile," Cray says.

I frown and push my salad away. I wasn't expecting this call.

"Thread already told me he had looked at it and that Crane had an alibi," I reply.

"Really? There's no record of that on the system. And I checked out Crane myself. He doesn't have an alibi. His wife and kids weren't home that night so there is no one to confirm that's where he was," Cray replies.

"That doesn't make sense. I called Thread myself. Why would he lie?" I ask.

"I don't know. Maybe he got confused with Andrew Marvel. But I'm definitely putting Crane on the suspect list. The texts and lack of alibi should be enough to get a warrant to search his house," Cray says.

"Thanks. It should have been done a long time ago," I reply.

"It's not a problem. Though more evidence against Crane would be bad for your case. Everyone is saying that Ryan Mellark is an open and shut case," Cray says.

"It's my job to put the right person behind bars. If it's Crane I will be happy to let Ryan Mellark walk free," I say.

"Don't often get DAs admitting that. You're one of the good ones, Katniss. I'll keep you posted on what I find," he says.

I thank Cray before hanging up and then staring at the case files in front of me. Thread shouldn't have lied to me, so why did he? Why does he want to protect Crane? It's just another thing in a long list of things that don't add up in this case.

I'm more suspicious than ever about Crane and pull up any files I have on him. But there's no good information in them. I vaguely remember Ryan mentioning Madge's boss in one of his interviews and quickly pull the video up on screen. I lean in to closely watch Ryan on the screen.

" _Some people at Madge's office say she and her boss, Seneca Crane, got close. Did that bother you?" Thread asks._

 _Ryan snorts._

" _Madge couldn't stand the man. He didn't like it that she told him to shove off when he tried to put his hands on her," Ryan replies._

" _Or that what she led you to believe. It could have been a front and she was fucking him behind your back. Is that what you found out? Is that another reason for you to want her dead?" Thread asks calmly._

" _Objection!" Haymitch shouts. "This is nothing but hearsay and has no relevance to the charges against my client!"_

 _Thread just shrugs his shoulder before flipping over to a new page in his file. The questioning soon takes another direction._

I lean back in my chair and let out a sigh of frustration. I haven't learned anything I didn't know before. There has to be something I'm missing. I can sense it is close but I just can't reach it.

I reach over to end the video but as I do, I stop and freeze. At the end of the interview Ryan is given a piece of paper to sign. I pause the video and peer in to take a closer look. My eye focuses on his hand that signs the paper. His left hand.

My mind goes into overdrive and I scramble about my pile of papers to find the police reports. I'm almost convinced that the report stated the killer was right handed. I flick through the pages until I find it. And sure enough, there it is, in black and white. The killer used his right hand to cut the body up.

I drop the file and lean back in my chair. I run a hand through my hair as my heart pounds in my chest. I shake my head in disbelief.

Once I've allowed myself to calm down a little I look back at the computer screen to check he's definitely using his left hand. I even turn my body to face the way Ryan is facing to make sure I haven't got my left and right mixed up. But I was right in my first summation.

Suddenly every uneasy feeling I've had about the case comes roaring back. The fact the body was found in the bins outside Ryan's house. The fact the DNA took longer to find. Thread covering things up.

I search through the papers on my desk until I find the report with the DNA evidence. I read the stuff about the samurai sword. It was only Ryan's DNA that was ever found on it. If it was used to kill Madge then it would have had her DNA on it. Unless the murderer cleaned the weapon after. But if the murderer spent so long cleaning the blade why was he careless enough to leave his own blood on it?

I flick the pages until I find the photos of where the blade was found in Ryan's office. It was only found on the second search. It's a pretty big sword, how could it be missed?

The first pictures show the room on the first search. I spot the grey filing cabinet, that the sword was found behind, by the door. I stare at the picture for ages, trying to figure out how the police missed the sword on the first search. But nothing sticks out. You can't see the sword in the picture. I then move to the next picture which shows the filing cabinet on the second search. Immediately something seems off about the picture. I bend down to get a closer look and then flip back to the previous picture. The hammering in my heart gets faster.

The cabinet moved.

It's further away from the door. In the first picture the edge of the cabinet is flush against the door. In the second picture there is a good six inches between the door and the cabinet. I drop the photos and shake my head.

The sword was placed in Ryan's office after he was arrested. While he was in a cell. Someone snuck into his office, moved the cabinet to hide the sword but didn't put the cabinet back in the right place. I begin to feel sick.

I bend down again to quickly find the papers on the only other DNA evidence we have. I find the report about the hairs found in Madge's car. Reading the report, I realise that they only found traces of Madge's blood in the car on first inspection. It was on the third search that hairs from Ryan's head were found. Apprehension fills me and I shuffle though papers until I discover what DNA evidence they took from Ryan when he was arrested. I'm surprised to find they have some of his hairs on file. When I read the report I realise these hairs were acquired from a brush found at Ryan's home. My heart stops when it sees the date the brush was taken as evidence.

It was the day before the hairs were found in the car.

I sink back in my chair and put my hands on my head.

All our evidence is a fraud.

Ryan didn't kill Madge Undersee.

He's innocent.

* * *

 **A/N: It took Katniss long enough to come to this conclusion! But she's now going to be more determined than ever to find the real killer. We only have 3 chapters left so the truth will be revealed soon.**

 **Happy Holidays, everyone!**


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13_

I storm through to Coin's office with the papers in my hands. I slam them down onto her desk and she looks up at me startled.

"Ryan Mellark was left handed," I state.

Coin sits back in her chair and places her hands in her lap.

"And you're telling me this because you want to buy him some left handed golf clubs," Coin says drily.

"The pathologist's report states Madge's killer used his right hand to cut up the body," I reply.

I point to the appropriate part in the report but Coin doesn't look. She sighs.

"I wish you would stop poking holes in this investigation," she says. "Ryan could still have cut her up with his right hand."

"He wouldn't be able to saw through bone with his weaker hand! And that's not all. The sword was placed in his office after he was arrested."

"Enough, Katniss!" Coin shouts, slamming her hands down on the desk. "All the evidence we have points to Ryan Mellark. There is no other suspect!"

I'm shocked into silence and slowly shake my head.

"You know he's innocent. You've always known," I say.

Coin gives me a cold look.

"I know a case this high profile needs to put someone behind bars. Mayor Undersee has made it known he will reward handsomely the people who help get his daughter justice. I have ambitions beyond the DA office," she says.

I shake my head in disbelief. She's not the person I thought she was. Justice will always come second to her career.

"Then I quit," I reply.

Coin scoffs.

"You quit this case then you may as well not work in this office," Coin says.

"Then I quit here too," I say. "I'll pack my things and go."

I don't wait for a reply. I turn and walk out the door without looking back.

* * *

I don't spend long packing up my office. My head is buzzing and I can't stand to be in this toxic environment any longer. A few people stick their heads round my door with confused looks but I just shake my head at them and they disappear quickly.

Prim is home when I get in and looks up surprised when I enter. I dump my cardboard box of stuff loudly on the kitchen table and she frowns at me in confusion.

"What are you doing home so early?" she asks.

"I quit today. Ryan Mellark is innocent," I reply.

Prim's eyes widen and she abandons the journal she was reading to come over to me.

"You can't be serious. You live for your job, Katniss," she says.

I shake my head.

"I thought I was defending the vulnerable people when I took this job. I didn't expect to prosecute the innocent just so it looks good on my resume," I reply.

Prim furrows her eyebrows further.

"What makes you think Ryan is innocent?" she asks.

I pause and take a breath before telling her all that I discovered at lunch time. Prim's eyes widen again as I tell the story.

"Holy shit. This is big," she says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I feel like everything I've been working towards has been a lie," I reply.

Prim nods her head and we're both silent for a moment. The case has taken up so much of my life these last six months. I'm not sure what my purpose is any more.

After a long moment Prim turns to look at me again.

"This hasn't got anything to do with Peeta, has it?" she asks.

I shake my head.

"I didn't quit the case so I could be with him. This hasn't changed anything between us. Too much has happened for us ever to work," I say.

Prim nods her head slowly.

"So you're not going to contact him?" she asks.

""I haven't had time to think about it. I can't even begin to imagine how I can start apologising," I say.

Prim nods her head again.

"Part of me was relieved when I realised that Ryan is innocent. I was relieved for Peeta that the brother he loves so much isn't a killer," I add.

Prim smiles at me and reaches out to place a comforting hand on my arm.

"I think you did the right thing. And I'm happy for Peeta too. I just hope Ryan's lawyer can prove his innocence," Prim says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I think I'll email Abernathy with what I discovered. If he's doing his job correctly he will know most of it already," I say. "It will still be hard though. It looks like Ryan was framed but that is always hard to prove without it looking like a desperate defence."

"Well, let's hope Abernathy is good at his job then," Prim says.

I smile and nod before Prim turns away. She offers me a cup of tea, which I gratefully accept, as I ponder where I go from here.

I'm at a bit of a loose end for the rest of the afternoon. I unpack my things from the office and send an email to Haymitch Abernathy about all the things I found out about Ryan. I take myself out for a run in the park but it does nothing to clear my head. When I get back to the apartment I annoy Prim with all the banging about I do in the kitchen.

"You've had days off before. You're not normally this agitated," Prim says.

She's in her work scrubs and is about to head out for her night shift. I sigh as I finish rearranging the mugs in the cupboard. I turn around and flop down on the chair near Prim.

"It's because I know I have no work to go back to. I have endless free days in front of me and that scares me," I reply.

Prim smiles at my sympathetically.

"Have you been put off law for good?" she asks.

"No," I reply. "I'm just not sure who I'd like to work for next. I'm still not sure if I could work for a defence team and the thought of corporate law brings tears to my eyes."

"You can always come and volunteer at the hospital for a few weeks. We're always looking for new faces," she says.

"I'm not cleaning bed pans," I reply.

Prim laughs as she finishes gathering up her things.

"I live with you. I know your cleaning skills are not up to scratch. But you could always help out in the kids' ward. You could bring in your old guitar and teach them some songs," she suggests.

"I'll think about it. Though it's been a while since I picked up the guitar. I may need to practise," I say.

"Well that gives you something to do tonight while I'm at work," Prim says.

I smile at her and she grins back. She waves goodbye before heading out the door. I sigh when I hear the door shut and look about the room. I drum my fingers against the table while I figure out what to do next. My phones pings with a message from Johanna and I eagerly pick it up to reply. I type my reply quickly and then put my phone down while I wait for it to send. As I do so I spot Peeta's name near the bottom of my inbox.

I pick up my phone again and chew on my bottom lip. My hand hovers over the buttons, debating whether or not to click on his name or not.

I stand by what I said earlier to Prim. I didn't quit this case because of him. But I can't just ignore him after everything I found out. My apology to him is long overdue.

I spend a long time debating whether I should message him or not. I eventually open up a new message and the words start tumbling out of my head. I apologise for everything I said to him the last time we spoke and tell him how I now believe Ryan's innocence. I know I'm rambling but I want to convey my regret for everything that's happened.

I take a deep breath once I've finished it and press send. I let out a long exhale as I sit back in my chair and watch the message send. The message is not enough but at least it is a start.

* * *

I'm woken the next morning by a knock on the door. I groan as I roll out of bed to answer it. I think it's Prim, who has probably forgotten her keys, and plan to give her shit for waking me up early. However, it's not my sister. The hulking reporter, Brutus Jenkins, stands smiling on the other side of the door.

I curse at the sight of him and try to shut the door but he jams his foot in the door to keep it wedged open. I'm only in my short pyjamas and wrap my arms around myself to cover myself up.

"Can you comment on the reports that you have quit the Ryan Mellark case? What led you to quit?" he asks.

I put my hand on the door, preparing to shove it in his face, as I answer him.

"Call the DA press office. They will deal with any questions," I reply.

I try to push the door shut but he stops me with another question.

"Their official line is that it was for personal reasons. Can you expand on what these are?" he pushes.

"It's really none of your business?" I reply..

Brutus raises his eyebrows.

"Is it a mental health issue? You seem quite agitated," he says.

Steam comes out of my ears.

"Goodbye," I say tersely before finally managing to slam the door in his face.

I let out a frustrated scream once the door is closed and shake my head. This case is threatening to haunt me. I make the mistake of going online to find out what story the DA press office spun about my resignation from the case. The official statement declares I left for personal reasons but doesn't elaborate on what they are. My reputation as a lawyer doesn't look good after quitting just over a month before trial.

Prim comes back and gives me a sleepy smile after her night shift. I decide not to worry her with my encounter with Brutus earlier and let her go to bed without ranting about the press. Thom calls me just after Prim has gone to bed to inquire about how I am doing. Now that I'm gone he's been chosen to assist Coin in the case.

"You don't hate me for taking your job?" he asks.

"Not at all. If you can look past all the suspicious evidence then go for," I say.

"Thanks. I'm going to miss you at the office. I need someone to escape to when Delly gets too much," he replies.

I laugh.

"You know you're going to marry her. And I expect an invite to the wedding. Just because I left doesn't mean we're going to stop being friends," I say.

"I'll call you for a drink later in the week," Thom chuckles.

I smile too and then Thom speaks again.

"You really believe Mellark's innocent?" he asks.

I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. No one has questioned the case up until his point. But I can't lie to Thom.

"Yeah. I do," I reply.

Thom is silent on the other end of the line and I can imagine him nodding on the other side.

"I guess I have a lot of work to do," Thom says after a while.

I smile and we say our goodbyes soon after. It feels a little strange to pass the case onto Thom but it also feels like a weight is lifted off my shoulders.

After my phone call with Thom I get several calls from various press offices inquiring about my resignation. My ring tone puts me on edge every time I hear it and I respond to all with no comment. Eventually I shut my phone off to avoid them.

I'm in a foul mood as a result and angrily flick though the TV channels without settling on anything. There is another knock on the door and I let out a frustrated huff as I get off the couch. I plan to give whoever is on the other side of the door an earful.

I yank the door back and am about to let rip when I realise who is standing in front of me.

"Peeta…" I say in disbelief.

He smiles at me a little awkwardly but I am left staring at him dumbfounded. I haven't seen him in three weeks and his curls have grown so long that they fall into his eyes.

"Hi," he replies.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

I smooth my hair back and hope I don't look too frazzled.

"That was a really long apology text you sent. I got a little bit lost in the middle," he replies.

I blush and try to read his expression but his features remain neutral.

"Sorry. I didn't proof read it before I sent it," I reply.

"Another apology," Peeta says.

There is just a hint of a smile as he says this but it soon vanishes and is replaced by a frown.

"Did you mean it?" he asks.

I know from his pained expression he isn't asking about my apology. He's asking if I meant what about I said about Ryan and the death penalty. I shake my head.

"No. I was angry at myself but took it out on you. I said the one thing I knew would hurt you the most and I've regretted it ever since. There were so many better ways I could have handled the situation. I should never have said it," I reply.

"No. You shouldn't have," Peeta replies.

* * *

Peeta leaves after that and when I go back through Prim is up and eating a bowl of cereal on the couch. She gives me a look when I enter.

"What?" I say as I take a seat next to her.

Prim shakes her head with a smile.

"That didn't take him long to come round," she says.

I open my mouth to protest but Prim just shakes her head. I cross my arms and lean back against the couch. Prim gives me another look and I want to chastise her for making assumptions. But at the same time I realise how my heart rate has picked up. And a small bloom of hope appears.

* * *

Johanna calls later on in the day to arrange drinks for tonight. I didn't leave the house today, in fear of being bombarded by the press, and am now desperate for a change of scene. I quickly shower and put on some fresh clothes before heading out to meet her and a few other friends at a nearby bar.

Unsurprisingly, Johanna already has a round of drinks sitting on the table when I arrive. She's brought Cressida along too and they sit beside Gale and Leevy. Darius is meeting us later tonight as well.

"Welcome to unemployment!" Johanna declares.

She hands me a rum and coke and I take a greedy sip. I let out a sigh when I put my glass down.

"Thanks for the words of encouragement," I reply.

The group all grin at me and Johanna finishes handing out the rest of the drinks.

"I have to say, I did not see this coming," Johanna says. "You were always the one that had the great life plan."

"I hope I haven't always been predictable," I mumble.

Gale grins at me.

"Everyone in Seam knew you would be a lawyer after you kicked butt in the middle school mock court. I'm not sure how the town is going to take it now you quit," he replies.

"I've got bigger problems that what the people in Seam think. I don't have a back-up plan. It's only been one day and I'm desperate to be working again. I hate feeling useless," I say.

"We'll help you find a new career path. Johanna's got an app on her phone that tells you what career path you should follow," Cressida says.

"Why on earth do you have that app?" I ask.

"We were bored one day at work and decided to play it for fun. Apparently I have the qualities to be a high end speciality brewer," she says.

"That doesn't surprise me," I laugh.

Johanna grins back at me and then pulls out her phone. She quickly finds the app and clicks on the first question.

"What do you like to do in your spare time?" Johanna says. "Shame. They don't have obsess about your work at home."

"Funny," I reply. "Will you let me answer any of the questions?"

"Of course not. We know you best anyway," she replies.

I look to Gale and Leevy for support but Gale just shakes his head.

"She's the only person you can't win a fight with," he replies.

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine. Find me my perfect job," I relent.

Johanna grins triumphantly before looking back at her phone.

"I suppose since the real answer isn't an option, I'll pick outdoor sports," she says.

I nod my head in agreement and there is a pause while the next question loads.

"What hair colour do you find most attractive," Johanna says. "Easy. Blonds."

I shake my head in disbelief.

"No way does it ask that!" I exclaim.

I snatch the phone out of her hand and she laughs at me.

"It's right there. In black and white," she replies.

I look at the phone and shake my head again. Sure enough. That's the question that was asked. I shove the phone back in her hand.

"What type of quiz is this? I hope you're not actually signing me up for internet dating," I say.

"All in good time, Katniss," Johanna says with a wink.

I shake my head again and take a long drag of my drink. Johanna continues to read the questions out and then answers them for me. Eventually she's exhausted all the questions and waits patiently for the results.

"Okay. The results of the quiz say that you would be a perfect entomologist!" Johanna declares.

"An ento what?" I ask.

"It's a person that studies insects," Cressida replies.

Johanna shows me the result on her phone. I take the phone out of her hand and shake my head.

"I guess it makes sense with all the time you spend outdoors," Gale muses.

"I do not want to spend my life surrounded by ants and bees!" I exclaim.

"I don't know…" Gale starts. "At least the beekeeper outfit would hide your ugly face."

I thump him on the shoulder and Gale lets out a noise of discomfort.

"You're supposed to be cheering me up," I say.

Everyone smiles at me and I hand the phone back to Johanna.

"You can always come and work with me at the magazine. I could do with a personal assistant," she says.

"For some reason I think our friendship would end if I was your assistant," I reply.

Cressida chuckles.

"Jo certainly likes things done in a particular way. Our refrigerator is colour coded!" she says.

Johanna scowls at her girlfriend but Cressida removes it with a kiss. Johanna smiles once she pulls away.

"At least one good thing can come from this. You can finally bang that blond neighbour you have upstairs," Johanna says.

I blush and suddenly become very interested in my drink. Johanna notices this and leans forward to get more information.

"I know a look of shame when I see one," she says.

I take a deep breath before speaking.

"I've kind of already have," I mumble.

Gale bangs his glass on the table and some liquid spills out. Johanna sits back looking impressed.

"Jesus. You work fast, Everdeen. You didn't even wait a day to jump him," she says.

"It wasn't today. We had something going on between March and May," I admit.

This actually renders Johanna speechless. Everyone stares at me in stunned silence.

"I don't know if I should be impressed by your balls or disgusted at your stupidity," Johanna says.

"I knew there was something you were keeping from us," Gale adds.

"Don't take it personally. The less people that knew about it the better. But we had a big fight and I said some horrible things. I hadn't seen him in three weeks," I reply.

"Hadn't? Which mean you've seen him again," Johanna says.

"He came by this morning. I tried to aplogise," I reply.

Johanna shakes her head in disbelief.

"You are full of surprises, Everdeen. And I don't think we've heard the end of you and Mellark. Your life may be more dramatic than the Kardashians," she muses.

I roll my eyes.

"I'm glad you find my life so entertaining," I reply.

"Well the rest of us are all getting old and boring," Gale says with a grin.

I smile back at him and take a sip of my drink. As I put my drink back down I spot Darius coming through the door. I catch his eye and wave him over. He smiles at me and bends down to give me a hug.

"I hope I didn't miss much. Is that drink for me, Johanna?" he asks.

"Saved it especially," she says as she hands him the beer.

Darius accepts it gratefully. He takes a long sip and lets out a content sigh after he's finished.

"So I had to rugby tackle a guy doing a dump in the mayor's trash can today. And people thought being in the police force was glamourous," he says.

We all laugh.

"Was he making a protest?" I ask.

"No!" Darius replies. "He just said he really needed a shit and this was the most convenient place!"

Another round of laughter and we fall into an easy conversation about the strangest things we've ever had to face at work.

* * *

Three hours later I'm more than a little buzzed and Darius and I sit slumped at the bar as we wait for another round of drinks. Darius is even more drunk than me and struggles a little to keep his head up.

"I can't believe you quit the case. I thought I could rely on you to help Madge," he admits.

"I can't put an innocent man in jail," I say.

Darius scoffs and shakes his head. A cold hard look comes across his face. I'm beginning to realise he is not a happy drunk.

"Ryan was far from innocent," he says bitterly. "You should have seen him the first time I met him. He had his hands all over Madge to begin with, marking his territory. And once he had made it clear she was his, he spent the rest of the night flirting with dozens of pretty girls in the bar."

"That doesn't make him a killer," I say.

Darius shakes his head again.

"He wasn't good enough for her. She could have done so much better. I kept telling her that. But she never believed me. And look what happened. She ended up with a bullet wound in her head. She was killed in her own bedroom and then cut up in the bathtub," he says.

I frown at his words.

"What makes you say she was shot in her bedroom?" I ask.

"It said. In the investigators' report. It was published in the press," Darius replies.

I shake my head. Something isn't right here.

"No. The investigators couldn't say for sure. The only blood that was found was in the bathroom," I say.

Darius shrugs his shoulders.

"It just seems like it would happen in her bedroom," he says.

I look at him strangely. He sounded so certain that she was killed in the bedroom. But only the killer could know that.

Darius lets out a heavy sigh and pulls out his wallet as the bartender comes back with our drinks.

"Ryan Mellark deserves to rot in prison," he says.

He pulls out a twenty but something shiny falls out his wallet and drops to the floor. I bend down to pick it up and am surprised to find an engagement ring.

"Are you planning to propose to someone?" I joke as I hand back the ring.

Ryan's eyes widen and he quickly snatches it out of my hand.

"It was my grandmother's. Family heirloom," he says.

I frown again. Something is definitely not right. And then I catch a proper look at the ring. It's a large blue sapphire surrounded by lots of small diamonds. It's almost identical to the one that went missing from Madge's hand.

Alarm bells go off in my head and my heart begins to beat faster. Darius refuses to look me in the eye and taps his foot impatiently against the floor. I don't need to be a body language expert to know he is nervous about something.

"It looks like the ring Madge had," I say carefully.

"Well, it's not," Darius snaps.

He then turns to look at me and my blood run colds. His eyes are full of raging anger. I'm suddenly scared of him and hold my breath, worried he is going to lash out.

But I'm saved by Leevy coming up and putting a hand on my shoulder. I jump a little as I turn round to look at her.

"Gale has started proclaiming how great Justin Bieber is. It's time for us to go. Do you want to share a cab?" she asks.

I nod my head eagerly and don't dare turn round to look at Darius again. I can feel his glare burning a hole in my back. I gather up my purse and follow Leevy away.

I only have one thought as I leave the bar.

Darius killed Madge.

* * *

 **A/N: Some people had already guessed this but now we know the real killer. But even with Katniss knowing the truth, things aren't going to be easy.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has followed/favourited/reviewed. I'm glad I've been able to keep people guessing.**


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14_

I rush upstairs to my apartment and bolt the door closed once I'm inside. I press my back against it and run a hand through my hair. I didn't really listen to either Gale or Leevy on the ride back home. All I could think of was Darius and the cold look he gave me when I left. My heart pounds now as I panic that he knows that I know. I was stupid to question his knowledge of the case. I should have just smiled and nodded along.

I fumble for my phone in my purse and call Detective Thread, the lead investigator in this case. I can't just ignore what I discovered, even if Darius is my friend. Thread picks up after a few rings and it sounds like I just woke him.

"Everdeen, why are you phoning me at this time of night?" he asks.

"I'm sorry to wake you but I found some information about the Madge Undersee case," I say.

"You found something more on Ryan?" Thread asks.

I shake my head even though I know Thread can't see me.

"Ryan didn't do it. It was Darius Donnelly. He has Madge's missing engagement ring in his wallet," I say.

Thread sighs.

"You're certain it's her ring? How did you see it anyway?" he asks.

"I only got a quick look but it was the same design. Why else would he have an engagement ring? And there was something else too. He knew Madge was killed in her bedroom," I say.

"He was probably just speculating. And if you just got a quick look at the ring then it's probably one that is similar. I can't arrest Darius on a hunch you have," he replies.

"It's not a hunch. I know it was him. I could see it in his eyes! You should at least send someone round to his house to check it out," I urge.

"I'm not going to do that, Katniss. I know you are having a hard time right now but Darius was like a son to me when he worked here. I'm not going to drag his name through the mud just because you have some wild theory," he says.

My heart sinks in my chest. I suddenly remember something the Mellark's said on Caesar Flickerman's show. They speculated that whoever killed Madge had help from the police. That's how evidence got planted and other suspects were overlooked. Darius worked in the police force for six years before he left to set up his own security company. He's bound to still have friends that would help him cover it up and frame Ryan. If Thread is helping him it would also explain why he lied to me about looking into Seneca Crane. I can't trust him.

"Darius has no motive to kill Madge. She was his best friend. He was devastated by her death," Thread adds.

I nod my head but I'm silent on the phone. I would take a guess that Darius' motive has something to do with unrequited feelings he had for her.

"Sorry to bother you," I reply.

Thread mutters something on the other end of the line before telling me to go to bed and stop worrying about the case.

I shake my head when I hang up. Clearly the police are involved in this cover up and won't help me. But I can't sit back and let Ryan be locked away for a crime he didn't commit. I quickly find Haymitch Abernathy's number and tap my foot impatiently as I wait for him to pick up.

To my surprise it is not Abernathy's gruff tones that answer. Instead a perky Finnick Odair picks up.

"Finnick? I didn't realise you were Aberbathy's secretary now," I say.

Finnick laughs.

"I definitely have the looks to pull it off," he replies seductively. "Haymitch even said he'll buy me something pretty if I do a good job."

I smile and shake my head.

"Don't you have a wife and kids you should be at home with? Or are you being the ultimate cliché and having an affair with your boss?" I ask.

Finnick barks out another laugh.

"Haymitch is a very attentive lover," Finnick replies. "Why don't you come and join us in a three way. Or is there another reason you called?"

"I know who killed Madge," I reply.

This shuts Finnick up. He drops the cocky bullshit and I can hear him moving on his seat.

"How do you know that?" he asks.

"It's Darius Donnelly. He's a friend of mine and we were out for drinks when he dropped an engagement ring. It was the engagement ring that Ryan gave Madge," I say.

"Holy shit. It could make sense though. He texted her about an hour before she was killed asking to come over. Madge didn't reply but he could have still gone around anyway," Finnick replies.

"You can't trust the police. I think it's been Thread that has helped set Ryan up," I add.

Finnick lets out a long whistle and I can imagine him shaking his head.

"What about motive? Do you think he had feelings for her? That he was jealous of Ryan?" Finnick asks.

"Mrs Flanagan heard a man and woman arguing the night of the murder. Madge shouted how she didn't love whoever was in the room. Darius could have told her his true feelings and she didn't reciprocate. That's his motive," I reply.

Finnick doesn't say anything else but I hear a door opening on the other end of the phone. Finnick moves away from the phone to speak to the person that has just entered. Once he's explained everything, Haymitch Abernathy takes the phone off him.

"The ring won't be enough," Abernathy says. "And they still won't release Ryan. The only way he won't go to trial is if we get a confession from Darius."

"But if there is enough evidence on Darius it will make your case stronger. Do you have friends on the force who you would trust to check out Darius, maybe get a warrant to search his house?" I ask.

Haymitch pause for a long moment as he thinks.

"I may know some people. I'll see what I can do tomorrow. You sit tight. I know you have nothing else to do but you are not an investigator," he says.

"Okay," I reply.

I hate that there is not more that I can do. I'm not good at feeling useless.

I discuss a few more details with Abernathy before saying goodbye and hanging up. I sit in the living room for a long time before I go to bed. My head buzzes with thoughts about Darius. I play every interaction I've had with him over the past six months and search my mind for more clues that he was Madge's killer. When I do go to bed, I don't ever fully get to sleep. My dreams are full of Madge Undersee and the terrified look in her eyes when she was shot by her best friend.

* * *

I'm up, drinking a strong cup of coffee, when Prim gets back from her nightshift. She eyes the mug of coffee and smirks.

"A big night last night?" she asks.

I shake my head.

"I'm not hungover. I couldn't sleep. I know who killed Madge Undersee," I say.

Prim's eyes widen in surprise and some of the tiredness in them disappears. She pulls up a chair and leans in to find out more information.

"What the hell?" she asks.

I give her a weary smile before I tell her everything that happened last night. Once I've finished she leans back in her chair and lets out a long breath.

"Do you think Darius knows you know?" she asks.

"Yes. He gave me a pretty cold look when I left," I reply.

Prim flicks her eyes to the door.

"Jesus Christ, Katniss! Are you safe here? He knows where you live," she points out.

"I don't think he would do anything rash. He's been too clever up to this point," I say.

Prim doesn't look convinced and chews on her bottom lip. As she does so my phone buzzes with a message. I look down and raise my eyebrows when I see who it's from.

"It's Darius," I say.

Prim's eyes widen and then she leans in so she can read the message with me. I take a breath as I press the button to open it.

 _Katniss, we need to talk._

I gulp and look nervously at Prim. She looks back at me with fear in her eyes.

"Promise me you won't go anywhere by yourself today," she says.

I nod my head and try to keep my heartbeat under control.

I spend the rest of the day locked in the house with Prim. I reply to Darius with a lie that I've gone to stay with my parents for a few days and don't have time for a chat. He doesn't reply which makes me more anxious.

In the early evening Prim gets ready for her night shift. Thresh had come round earlier in the day to check on us and they both sit in the kitchen in their scrubs.

"I still think you should go to Mom and Dad's. It would be good for you even if we weren't worried about Darius," Prim says.

I shake my head.

"I'll be fine. There's no need to get paranoid," I reply.

Prim nods her head but doesn't look convinced. Thresh puts his arm around her and kisses her temple to calm her down a little. Soon after there is a knock on the door and I freeze. Prim turns to look at me guiltily.

"Don't hate me. But I didn't want you to be left alone while we are at work," she says.

"Who did you call, Prim?" I ask.

Prim smiles at me before walking to open the door. I get up off my chair to follow her. Peeta smiles nervously once she's open the door. Prim fiddles with the end of her braid as she explains herself.

"I thought it would you give you another chance to apologise. You both have a lot to talk about," she says. "I know I wasn't very supportive before and Katniss said some stupid things but things are different now. Enjoy!"

I open my mouth to say something but Prim grabs Thresh's hand and darts out the apartment before I can say anything. Peeta turns to watch them flee but then turns back to face me.

"I baked you some cheese buns," he says.

He holds up a plastic box and the smell of bread and melted cheese tickles my nostrils. I smile back at him and step aside to let him in.

"You didn't have to come round today," I say.

Peeta shrugs his shoulders as we both take a seat on the couch

"Prim is pretty persuasive. And she's right. We need to talk," he says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I was really hurt with what you said about Rye. And it was made worse because you said it to purposefully hurt me. But I believed you when you apologised for it. It's just taken me a while to accept it," he says.

I nod my head and look down, ashamed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I was very selfish. After I saw your parents on Flickerman's show I realised how much this whole thing is hurting you. I'm sorry I couldn't support you," I reply.

"And I'm sorry that I didn't take your concerns about your job seriously. I understand why you freaked out even if I think you could have handled the whole situation better," he says.

I smile gratefully at him.

"I should have never have kissed you. The timing was all wrong," I reply.

"I agree. We shouldn't have started something. It was always going to end the way it did," Peeta says.

"And now?" I ask. "Can you actually ever fully trust me again?"

Peeta shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know. And I don't think we need to rush anything. I'd just like to get to know you without the case hanging over our heads."

"So friends?" I ask.

I chew on my bottom lip as I wait for Peeta's answer. Slowly a smile spreads across his face.

"Yes. Let's start with friends," he replies.

A smile breaks across my face and I let out a sigh of relief. I release the tension in my shoulders and reach out to pick up a cheese bun.

"You know I'm going to want to eat these all myself," I say.

"I didn't expect anything less," Peeta replies.

I wrap my hand around the still warm bun. Peeta watches me with a smile as I inhale the smell deeply and then pause briefly before savouring my first bite.

"Oh yes, Peeta. This is amazing," I say dreamily.

Peeta chuckles from beside me and I glance to the side to look at him.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

Peeta smiles again.

"You know that you make sex noises while you eat," he says.

"I do not!" I exclaim.

"Really? Does 'Yes, Peeta! Fuck, you're the best!' not sound familiar?" he replies.

I thump him in the arm.

"Don't be cocky. You weren't that good in bed," I say.

Peeta grins and leans in closer to me.

"I think you're lying, Everdeen. Because you would walk funny the next day. You were certainly the best I ever had," he whispers.

A shiver goes up my spine and I gulp down my bit of cheese bun. Just the memory of him makes my clit throb.

I turn to face him slowly and he looks back at me with a cheeky glint in his eye. Warmth begins to spread out in my chest. I can't stop the smile spreading across my face. Any awkwardness slowly begins to slip away and it reminds me how it was before Madge Undersee got murdered.

We turn away from each other and Peeta chooses a movie to watch. The box of cheese buns sits between us and we munch on them as we spend more time talking than paying attention to the movie playing out on the screen. I almost forget about Darius and what he could be planning.

However, about half way through the film, there is a knock on the door and a cold voice floats through.

"Katniss, let me in. I know you're home. Your car is outside," Darius says.

I turn to Peeta with a panicked look. He gets up and carefully walks to the door while I shut the TV off. Darius bangs on the door again.

"If you don't open up then I will just open it myself. It wasn't hard to steal a key from your super," he says.

My heart rate increases and Peeta and I share a worried look. A second later I hear a key in the lock and I rush over to the door. Maybe it I pretend ignorance he'll go away. I pull the door back and Darius smiles back at me. He looks agitated and his bronze hair is a tangled mess. He hasn't shaved today and his pupils are thick and black. He's so different from the friend I knew.

"Sorry. I was just in the bathroom," I lie.

I step aside to let Darius in. He stalks into my apartment and Peeta sidles up beside me and slips his hand in mine. I give his hand a tight squeeze to reassure him I know what I'm doing. Darius looks surprised when he turns around and spots Peeta beside me. He scoffs and shakes his head at the sight.

"I can't escape from you Mellarks. Good to know you are fucking him. Is that why you got thrown off the case?" he asks.

"Peeta is a friend. He came round to watch a movie with me," I reply.

Darius scoffs again.

"I'm not an idiot. Friends don't stand that closely together. Madge certainly never held my hand that tightly," he says bitterly. "What is it about you Mellarks that make girls swoon? Are your dicks made out of chocolate?"

"You never seemed to have a problem getting girls when we went out together," Peeta says. "The girls loved your cheeky personality."

Darius glares at Peeta.

"I don't need your pity compliments. You're not as arrogant as Ryan but you use that charm of yours to good effect," Darius replies.

I can feel the anger radiating out from Darius towards Peeta. In his mind, he just sees Ryan. I'm only beginning to truly understand the extent of Darius' hatred towards Peeta's brother.

"Is everything okay, Darius?" I ask, trying to act innocent. "You don't seem yourself."

"No. Things aren't alright, Katniss. I had the fucking police turn up at my house today. The had a warrant to search my property. Apparently they thought I had some of Madge's things. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?" he asks.

He steps towards us and put his face up into mine. I lock my eyes onto his and try to stay calm.

"Why would I know anything about that?" I reply.

"Because I know you saw the fucking ring!" he snaps.

I gasp as he pulls out a gun, pushes me against the wall and places it underneath my chin. Peeta drops my hand and cautiously puts up his hands.

"Easy, man. You don't want to do anything you regret. This isn't you. I know it," Peeta says.

The cold metal presses against my skin and sends a chill down my body. My heart goes into overdrive and I concentrate on my breathing to stop Darius from seeing how scared I am. I've faced rapists and violent criminals in the courtroom but nothing prepared me for this.

"I've already done something I regret!" Darius exclaims. "I didn't want to kill her. But she was just so unreasonable. She didn't realise that I was better for her."

His voice wobbles and the gun in his hand begins to shake against my skin. For the first time I sense his turmoil.

"You were in love with her," I state.

In all the training I have ever had, I've been told to keep the attacker talking. The longer you do so the less likely they are to shoot.

"I was there for her every fucking day. I dropped everything the moment she needed me. And she was perfect. Beautiful, smart and kind. But her head always got turned by idiot frat boy types. She couldn't see that they didn't love her like I did," he replies.

"Rye loved her. You took her from him," Peeta says with a cold glare.

Darius removes the gun from underneath my chin and points it at Peeta. I gasp for breath and sag forward once the pressure has been released and Peeta puts his hands up in defence.

"She was just a trophy for him! Goodness know how many girls he slept with while he was with her!" Darius shouts.

"He never cheated on her," Peeta replies.

Darius shakes his head fiercely. I take a step so I'm in his line of sight again.

"How did it happen? I know you wouldn't have done it on purpose," I say.

I don't like that Darius is pointing the gun at Peeta. And Peeta is more emotionally involved than me. He's more likely to say something to set Darius off. Darius turns the gun back on me.

"She'd been upset that week because of the photos at the bachelor party. I thought it was my chance. That she finally realised that Ryan was bad for her. But then I went round that night and she said she was going to forgive him. Started going on about how much she loved him. I didn't want to hear it so told her that I was in love with her. That we should be together. But she wouldn't listen to me. I kissed her and tried to show her much I loved her but she just kept trying to get away," Darius says.

"You tried to rape her," Peeta says coldly.

"She wanted me. She was just scared about what Ryan would do," Darius exclaims.

Peeta shakes his head in disbelief.

"And then she escaped from me and tried to run. She even pointed her gun at me when I wouldn't leave. But I got it off her. And when she ran again, I shot her. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to be with her," he says.

"So you frame my brother for your crime. It's the perfect revenge for the person you hate most in the World," Peeta says.

Darius swings the gun round to point it back at Peeta. His hand shakes in the air as he stares at him.

"Your brother deserves it. He's the reason she's dead. If she had seen sense and been with me she would still be alive!" Darius exclaims.

Hysteria begins to rise in his voice. He's beginning to panic and I'm not sure that's a good thing. Scared people have a habit of doing rash and stupid things.

I take a step towards him and place a tentative hand on his shoulder. Darius jerks round and the gun ends up in my face. His whole body shakes now and tears gather in the corner of his eyes. I put my hands up defensively and try to use a calming voice.

"I believe that you didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident. You can leave now and Peeta and I will forget we ever had this conversation. We won't say anything to the police," I say.

Darius laughs.

"You honestly think I'll believe that," he says before sniffing loudly. "There's no way he's going to let his brother rot in jail for my crime. I can't let you leave this room, Katniss."

My palms get sweaty and my heart feels like it is coming up through my chest. I glance at Peeta and he gives me an alarmed look.

"You don't want to hurt us. You are a good guy, Darius," I plead.

"Good guys get nowhere," he says raising the gun to my head.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Peeta edge towards a table in the corner. On the table is a heavy bronze award Prim won while at college. Peeta curls his hands around it and quietly sneaks up behind Darius.

"They will know it's you. Too many people know I found out the truth," I say.

Darius pushes the barrel of the gun to my forehead. I try hard not to winch as it jabs into my skin.

"Who else did you tell? I bet you told that sister of yours. I suppose I'll have to wait here until she gets back," he says.

"Don't you dare hurt Prim," I say.

"I didn't want it to be this way, Katniss," he replies.

I force myself to keep my eyes open. If he's going to kill me I want him to see the look in my eyes as I die. I straighten my back and stand tall. Defiant.

Peeta has almost snuck up on him but at the last moment steps on a floorboard that creaks. Darius spins round and knocks Peeta down with the force of the spin. The award falls from Peeta's hand and rolls across the floor. Darius is enraged when he sees what Peeta tried to do.

"You Mellarks always get in my way!" Darius rages.

Peeta tries to scramble back to his feet but Darius fires a shot and Peeta grips the bottom of his leg in agony. Blood starts to bloom on his pant leg and I hurl my body at Darius to prevent him from firing a second shot.

Darius screams as I jump on his back and sink my nails into his hand to try and get him to drop the gun. But he holds tight and then manages to throw me off his back. I bash my hip on the corner of the wall and groan as the pain shoots through me.

"Don't make this harder, Katniss," he says as he looks down at me.

I scramble back until my hand touches Prim's award lying on the floor. Darius stalks towards me but when he points the gun at me I pick up the award and knock the weapon out of his hand. The gun spins off into the living room and Darius yells in frustration.

I use his distraction to dart underneath him and towards the gun. My fingers brush against the cool metal just as strong arms pick me up and throw me onto the couch. Darius looms over me and presses his body on top of me.

"You're so much like her. Just as feisty. I like that in a girl," he says.

He plucks at my bra strap and leans in to sniff my hair. I try to fail my limbs underneath him but he's too heavy. I spy Peeta slumped in the corner and the pool of blood gets bigger around him. My heart hammers so loudly in my chest that I can barely hear anything else but I don't give up fighting. I can't.

"I'm not going to end up like Madge Undersee!" I declare.

Darius chuckles and then runs a hand up my body. He bends down to kiss me but when he opens his mouth I bite firmly down on his tongue. He yelps and his hand goes to his mouth to try and stop the blood from pouring out.

"You bitch!" he exclaims.

But I take my opportunity to slide out from underneath him. I'm gone before he realises and I dash towards the gun. I bend down to scoop it up and then turn round to face Darius, pointing the gun at his chest.

"Hands behind your back," I demand.

Darius looks at me stunned but tries to take a step forward. I pull the trigger back and he stops when he hears the click.

"I went hunting with my dad as a kid. And I was archery champion at school. I won't miss," I state.

Darius pauses for a long moment but slowly puts his hands behind his back. I keep the gun trained on him as I shuffle back and rip the cord from around the drapes. I walk back towards him and order him to turn around. I tie his hands together before dragging him to the window and tying his hands to the railing that holds the drapes. Once I've done that I get the cord from the other drapes and tie his feet together. I double check all the knots are secure and then stand up to face him. I look him coldly in the eye.

"You'll pay for what you did to Madge," I say.

Darius doesn't say anything and I then I turn to dash over to Peeta. I grab my phone on the way and dial 911. Once I've explained the situation to them I drop down to my knees to attend to Peeta.

He struggles to keep his eyes open and his forehead is clammy and sweaty. I brush some hair back and then look down to check the bleeding. The whole bottom of his pant leg is crimson red and I panic as I rip my top off and try to tie it tightly round his leg to stop the bleeding.

"Stay awake, Peeta. I'm not going to let you die today. I forbid it," I state.

Peeta manages a weak smile.

"At least I got to see you in your bra for one last time," he says.

I laugh but tears gather in my eyes.

"Don't talk like that. If you stay awake I may even let you see my breasts," I reply.

Peeta laughs but his eyelids are fluttering close. I grab his shoulders and shake him.

"Peeta! You need to stay awake! Don't go to sleep. Open your eyes for me!" I exclaim.

But I get no response this time. Instead his eyelids flicker close.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger! Only one more chapter and an epilogue left after this. Hope everyone has enjoyed the ride!**


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15_

"He's arresting! We need to move quickly!"

A panicked doctor yells this as staff rush some random person past my cubicle in the emergency room. I close my eyes and shake my head, hoping that someone is not shouting something similar about Peeta in another part of the hospital.

I'm covered in blood. Peeta's blood. I can feel it, sticky and congealed, on my skin. Part of me wants to rip it off my body while another part wants to have his mark on me.

He didn't regain consciousness in the ambulance and was rushed into the ER before I had time to say goodbye to him. I was then dragged inside and told to wait for a doctor to see me. I don't know what is happening to him now.

I snap my head at the sound of the curtain around my bed being pulled back. A doctor appears with a clipboard and I sit upright and lean towards him.

"Where's Peeta? How is he? What's wrong with him?" I ask a little desperately.

The doctor comes over to me and looks at something on the chart.

"The paramedics said you were a little hysterical on their arrival," he states.

I shake my head furiously. No one will give me the answers I want. When the ambulance arrived I was sobbing into Peeta's shirt and had my arms wrapped tightly around him. The paramedics had to prise me off him but the tears only got worse when I saw them poking and prodding him while using complicated language I didn't fully understand. I refused to let any one look at me at the scene, wanting them to only focus on Peeta, and I think they were very close to sedating me.

"I need to know how he is. There was so much blood. I don't know if someone can survive losing that much," I say.

The tears rise back up into the corner of my eyes and my voice wobbles at the end. The doctor looks up from his clipboard and gives me a sympathetic smile.

"Are you family of Mr Mellark?" he asks.

I shake my head.

"I'm his…" I trail of as I'm not sure how to answer the question. I look down at my hands in my lap. "…his neighbour."

"Then I can't give you any information about him," the doctor replies.

"But I was there! I saw him get shot! I sat with him in the ambulance! I should know whether he's still alive!" I shout.

The doctor looks taken aback and then bows his head so he can write something on his clipboard. I'm annoyed at his lack of compassion so reach up and knock the clipboard out of his hands.

"Stop writing on your clipboard and look at me! I need to find out about Peeta!" I exclaim.

Suddenly the curtain pulls back again and a frazzled looking Prim appears.

"Prim!" I exclaim. "They won't tell me anything about Peeta. I need to know he's okay."

Prim rushes round to my side and puts her arms around me. I bury my head in her shoulder and the tears begin to fall down my cheek.

"I need to know if he's still alive," I sob.

Prim nods her head and holds me tight.

"I'll find out what's happening to him," she promises. "But are you okay? I can't believe he pointed a gun at you!"

We pull back slightly and Prim brushes the tears off my cheek. The doctor with the clipboard says he'll give us a minute and come back later. I don't acknowledge him as he leaves and focus on Prim in front of me.

"I'm fine. Just a few bumps and bruises. I shouldn't even be in here. I should be there supporting Peeta," I reply.

Prim smiles sadly at me and runs her hands over my body, as if to check I really am okay. She frowns when she sees the blood on my clothes.

"This is a lot of blood. I should have never left you tonight. I knew Darius would try something," she says.

I shake my head at her.

"And have you in his firing line as well? No way. I'm glad you were here," I reply.

Prim nods her head sadly.

"They've arrested him. It's already all over the news. The police want to question you about what happened," Prim says.

"I can't answer their questions now. Not until I know what's happened to Peeta," I say.

Prim nods her head again and sighs.

"I'll go and see what I can find out about him. You need to let the doctors check you over. You're in shock at the moment and I want to make sure there isn't a hidden problem somewhere," she says.

I nod my head in agreement.

"I will. Just find out about Peeta. Hurry, please," I say.

Prim smiles at me and then gets up off the bed. She bends down to place a kiss on my forehead and then leaves. I'm left alone once again with only my frantic thoughts to keep me company.

I can't sit still in the hospital bed. I drum my fingers against the bed and jiggle my foot up and down. I check my watch every couple of minutes but Prim still doesn't come back. I try to think about anything else, anything to make the time pass quicker, but my mind always comes back to Darius and the shot he fired in my apartment. The image of Peeta, bloody and pale, becomes tattooed onto my eyeballs. No matter what I do, I can't shake it.

Eventually I hear footsteps approaching my bed and I tense as the curtain is pulled back. I am expecting to see Prim but it's Mrs Mellark's blonde hair and blue eyes I see instead. I freeze at the sight of her but search her features for any clues that the worst has happened to Peeta. She looks tired but if she has been crying, it was a while ago. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

She stares at me for a long moment and I don't know what to say to her. I want to know about Peeta but not that long ago I was helping to put her other son in prison.

"You're the lawyer," she eventually states. "It seems my youngest son has been keeping things from me."

The mention of Peeta reminds me what I wanted to know in the first place and the desperation for news rises up inside of me again.

"How is Peeta? Is he okay? What's happened to him?" I begin.

Mrs Mellark looks surprised at the desperation in my voice and the tears that well up in my eyes. I can't bear to look at her after everything I've put her family through and I drop my head as the sobs begin to wrack my body.

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have invited Peeta in today. I should have called the ambulance sooner. I should have tied the bandage tighter. There was just so much blood. I tried to keep him awake but I couldn't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I sob.

My last few words are barely audible as my whole body shakes with my cries. Ugly sounds leave my mouth as the stream of tears flow down my cheeks. The pain and guilt begins to become too much and I feel close to breaking.

To my surprise, Mrs Mellark comes over to me and puts her hands on my shoulders.

"Pull yourself together. Crying isn't going to help him," she says firmly.

I manage to get myself under enough control to look up at her.

"Help him? Does that mean he's still alive?" I ask.

I sniff back a large tear and Mrs Mellark looks kindly back at me.

"Yes. He's in surgery now. The gunshot severed a major artery in his leg and they are trying to fix it. They hope he won't lose his leg," she replies.

Her voice wavers at the very end as she looks away for a moment to blink back a tear.

"Lose his leg?" I ask appalled. "Surely it won't come to that?"

"I'd rather him lose a leg and live then die with both his legs intact," Mrs Mellark replies.

I sniff again and nod my head. Her hands loosen their grip on my shoulders and she pulls back. She studies me carefully as I try to wipe the tears and snot away.

"It's really been a shitty year. I've had to watch one son get arrested for murder and another one get shot in the leg," she says. "And you seem to be at the centre of both of these events."

I look away from her and play with a loose thread on the top the hospital gave me.

"I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused your family. I never thought it would come to this," I say.

Mrs Mellark doesn't say anything but nods her head. She tilts her head to the side to study me again.

"You care very much for Peeta," she says.

It's not a question. She knows the answer because of the way I've reacted. I nod my head.

"I told him he can't die. That I forbid it. I will give him hell to pay if he does," I reply.

Mrs Mellark laughs and we share a smile.

"I can see why he likes you," she replies. "Knowing Peeta, this whole getting shot thing is just a way to get your attention."

We share another smile and Mrs Mellark reaches out to gently touch my arm.

"I'm not sure I want to know how your relationship came about, but I'm glad he had someone. You blame yourself for all of what's happened but in the end you helped my family," she says.

"Thank you," I reply.

Mrs Mellark smiles at me again and gives my arm a reassuring squeeze.

"I look forward to getting to know you, Katniss," she says.

I smile back at her and she then leaves. The whole interaction felt a bit surreal but I feel a lot better about it as a result.

With the knowledge that Peeta is still alive for the moment, I let the doctor do a full check up on me and even answer any questions the police have. I'm cleared to leave the hospital but don't even think about going home. Instead I find the ward Peeta will be on and wait with his family as the surgery finishes up.

It's strange to properly meet the family I spent so long researching for the case. Mr Mellark is an incredibly warm man and welcomes me with a hug so big I'm scared he'll squeeze the air out of me. Bran, the eldest brother, is also here although he left his wife and two kids at home. He looks more like Peeta than Ryan does and just looking at him makes my heart ache. Not much is said as we wait in the small family room but Prim pops in to give us all some decent coffee and food from a nearby late night café.

At one o'clock in the morning the door opens and Haymitch Abernathy walks in. He does a double take when he sees me with the family but takes a seat next to Mr Mellark.

"Darius has confessed," he states.

All eyes widen in surprise and the life comes back into the Mellarks. Mrs Mellark lets go of her husband's hand to turn and look at Haymitch.

"Really?" she asks. "He's confessed to everything?"

A grin spreads across Haymitch's face.

"Yup. The gun he used to shoot Peeta was Madge's. The same one that was used to shoot her in the head. The police also found Madge's engagement ring in his apartment. Those two pieces of evidence, along with the fact that he confessed to Peeta and Katniss, was enough to condemn him. He cracked under the pressure and spilled all the beans," Haymitch replies.

Relief floods all the features of the Mellarks. Mrs Mellark takes her husband's hand again and gives it a squeeze. The pair of them share a smile. Probably the first smile they've shared in months.

"So he really tried to frame Ryan?" Mr Mellark asks.

Haymitch nods his head.

"Yes. He really didn't like your son and was jealous that Madge was in love with Ryan rather than him. He admitted to planting the body in Ryan's trash cans to raise suspicion over him. He even remotely cut the security cameras outside Ryan's house so he could do it unseen. It was easy for him to do since the cameras were set up by his security company," Haymitch replies.

"What about the sword? Did he plant it in the office?" Bran asks.

Haymitch nods his head.

"Yes. He confessed to that too. He's also admitted to working with Detective Thread to help frame Ryan. Thread snuck out a sample of Ryan's blood from police files so Darius could plant his blood on the sword. The hairs found in Madge's car came from a hairbrush that had been confiscated the day before they were found in the car. Thread has also been arrested for accessory to murder," Haymitch says.

Haymitch then turns to look at me.

"An investigation has been opened up on your old boss, Coin. Everyone knows she was friendly with Thread and they are investigating her for misconduct. You got out at the right time, Katniss," he says.

"I couldn't condemn an innocent man," I reply.

Haymitch nods his head before turning back to the Mellarks.

"More information about Darius is coming out every minute. He didn't leave the police force by choice. He was asked to leave after there were several complaints from victims that he propositioned or sexually harassed them when he went out on visits. He had a dark side most people didn't know about," Haymitch says.

I shiver as I remember the feel of his hands on me. I was in no doubt he would have tried to rape me if I hadn't bitten his tongue. And then I remember how he acted at my birthday party. I can't believe I didn't see that side of him sooner.

"But it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that Ryan is cleared of all charges," Haymitch adds.

Mrs Mellark grips her husband's hand tighter and gives Haymitch a big grateful smile.

"When will Rye get home?" she asks.

"I've got Finnick down at the prison right now. We're hoping to get him out tonight to avoid all the press attention. He should be home for dinner tomorrow," Haymitch says.

Mrs Mellark lets outs a shuddering breath and Mr Mellark closes his eyes and presses his forehead against his wife's. Happy tears slip down their cheeks.

Haymitch slaps them on the back.

"I've never been happier to get a client off," he says. He then turns to face me. "Thanks for all your work, Katniss. This wouldn't have happened without you."

I smile at him and the Mellarks all shower him in their thanks.

"No need to thank me. I hope your youngest boy gets better soon," Haymitch says.

Everyone nods their heads and Haymitch then leaves. The room is silent as everyone lets the news sink in. Mr Mellark is the first to speak.

"Thank God that is all over," he says, slumping back into his chair.

Mrs Mellark smiles back at him but there is a sadness to it.

"But it's not over for the Undersees. They still have a dead daughter. Just because it wasn't Rye doesn't mean it will hurt any less," she says.

Mr Mellark nods his head solemnly. It's hard for them to feel complete joy when Madge is still dead.

However, the moment is broken with the opening of the door. A doctor, wearing surgical scrubs, comes in and gives us a tired smile. Immediately everyone tenses and turns to face her.

"We've just finished the surgery on Peeta's leg. It turned out to be a lot more complicated than we thought," she begins.

My heart stops at her words but I force myself to carrying on listening to her.

"Peeta lost a lot of blood and his heart actually stopped on the operating table," the doctor carries on.

There is a gasp from Mrs Mellark and Bran shakes his head in disbelief. I drop my head, unable to look at the doctor as she gives the news.

"But we were able to get it working again and eventually tied off the artery that had been severed. I think we've even managed to save the leg. He's in intensive care at the moment but we hope when he wakes up we'll be able to move him to another ward," she says.

Mrs Mellark lets out a huge sigh of relief and clutches to her husband desperately.

"So he's going to be alright?" Mrs Mellark asks.

The doctor smiles broadly now and nods her head.

"Yes. I think he will be," she says.

Mr Mellark crushes his wife to his chest and tears of relief run down their cheeks. Bran gets up off his chair and shakes the doctor's hand, thanking her for her work.

"He'll have a lot of physio to do before he can walk properly but he's fit and strong. I think he'll do well," she says.

Bran thanks her again and I finally let the smile spread across my face. I even let out a small laugh. Bran turns to me and we share a smile. Mr and Mrs Mellark eventually pull back and Mr Mellark gives the doctor a big hug. Mrs Mellark comes over to me and she wipes a tear I didn't even know had fallen down my cheek.

"You should go home and get some sleep," she says.

I shake my head fiercely.

"No. I want to stay and be here when he wakes up," I say.

The doctor leaves and Mr Mellark comes over to join his wife.

"You've had an emotional day," he says. "And you don't want Peeta to see you exhausted and puffy eyed. He'll just worry about you if he sees you like this."

I look between his parents and wonder why they are being so nice to me. I duck my head down and nod.

"I'll give you my number. Call me as soon as he wakes up," I say.

They both nod their heads and I bend down to grab the notepad and pen on a nearby table. I quickly scribble my number on the bit of paper and hand it to them. Mr Mellark takes it happily.

"We'll see you soon, Katniss," he says.

I smile and nod my head but ask to go and see him before I leave. They agree and I leave to find the room he's staying in.

Peeta is surrounded by beeping machines and wires in the sterile room but some of the colour has come back to his cheeks. He doesn't look too beat up, just a massive bandage around his leg and he looks peaceful as he sleeps. I stroke a curl off his face and my hand lingers until it slips down to take one of his own. I pick it up and place a kiss on the back of it.

"I've never been so scared when you were put in that ambulance," I admit to him. "I'm not sure what I would have done if I lost you."

I put his hand back down and give it one last squeeze. I then bend down to place a kiss on his forehead before lingering just a moment longer and then disappearing out the room.

I don't expect sleep to find me but as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm gone. I don't wake up until hours later and I panic when I see the time. I have several missed calls on my phone telling me Peeta is awake and moved out of intensive care. I throw back the covers and jump out of bed.

Prim sits in the kitchen and I scowl at her when I see her.

"Why didn't you wake me? Peeta woke up hours ago!" I say.

"You needed the sleep, Katniss. Peeta will understand when he sees you," she replies.

I shake my head as I pour myself a glass of water and gulp it down in one go. Prim watches me with an amused smile.

"I take it this means that the two of you made up before everything happened. Are you going to start dating him again?" Prim asks.

I start gathering up my things and don't look at Prim as I answer.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen, Prim. He's in hospital right now. I just want him to get better" I reply.

Prim grins and shakes her head.

"Well, I'm calling it," she replies. She then looks me up and down. "And you might want a shower before you go. You still have some of his blood on you."

I look down and notice that there is still a streak of blood on my arm. My mind goes back to last night and the fear I felt when he was put in the ambulance comes back. I have to stop and grip the counter to steady myself. I concentrate on my breathing and remind myself that he's alive. It is the thought of his face when he sees me that calms me down again and I thank Prim before going to take a shower.

I'm pretty sure I broke some speeding laws in my eagerness to get to the hospital. I only spend a moment in my car, to check that my appearance is okay, before jumping out and rushing up to his ward.

I bump into Mr Mellark in the corridors and he holds a massive cup of black coffee. He looks exhausted but smiles when he sees me.

"Good afternoon, Katniss," he says.

"How is he?" I stop and ask. "Does everything still look okay?"

Mr Mellark nods his head.

"He was a bit groggy when he woke up but he says he doesn't feel too much pain in his leg.

"That's good," I reply, nodding my head.

Mr Mellark smiles at me.

"You were the first person he asked to see when he woke up. He was terrified that you weren't okay," he says.

I snap my head up to look at Mr Mellark but he just smiles at me and tips his head towards the door.

"Go on. I know you are desperate to see him," he says.

I smile and nod my head before walking towards the door. I peek through the window in the door and see Peeta sitting up and watching something on TV. My heart picks up in relief at the sight of him looking so well. I pause and take a deep breath before knocking and opening the door.

Peeta's eyes light up when he sees me and a broad smile spreads across his face.

"Katniss! Thank God you're alright!" he exclaims.

I smile and walk towards him. I take his hand in mine, running my thumb over his knuckles and savouring the warmth of his skin. He looks up at me and smiles sweetly at me. My heart swells at the sight and I fling my arms around him. Peeta lets out a little huff due to the impact of my hug but he wraps his arms tightly around me.

"I'm so sorry. I was the one who put you in danger," I say.

Peeta pulls back slightly and shakes his head. He reaches up to grab hold of my head and looks at me intently.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm alive. We're alive. That's all that matters," he replies.

I nod my head and then lean forward to press my forehead against his.

"I care so much about you," I admit.

Peeta smiles and brushes a strand of hair off my face.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies.

He places a kiss on my forehead and then pulls back to rest against the pillows. He pulls me with him and I settle easily into his side on the bed. Our hands find each other and our fingers tangle together. I smile at the sight before looking down at the bandage on his leg.

"How does your leg feel?" I ask.

Peeta smiles at me.

"Fine. They said I came pretty close to losing it. I don't think it would have been too bad though if I did. I could dress up as the best pirate at costume parties," he says with a grin.

I thump him on the arm.

"Not funny," I reply.

Peeta chuckles and gives me a little squeeze.

"I supposed we could always go in matching costumes," he says.

I shake my head at him.

"Couples costumes are the worst. Last year Prim made Thresh go as salsa to her tortilla chips," I reply.

Peeta lets outs a loud laugh.

"That's genius!" he declares.

"Well maybe I'll set you two up for Halloween," I reply.

Peeta and I share a grin and I lean my head against his shoulder.

"At least we can go to the same Halloween party without having to hide," Peeta says.

"Oh yeah. It might be kind of boring now not having to sneak around," I reply with a grin.

Peeta grins back at me but as he opens his mouth to reply there is a knock on the door. A moment later Ryan's head pops round the door.

He looks a lot plainer than when I saw him in the early police interviews. His hair is slightly longer and the stubble has grown thicker. But his eyes shine when he sees his baby brother.

"So I finally get released from prison and you have to go and get yourself shot. Talk about stealing my thunder," Ryan says.

Peeta brightens and he drops his arm from around me. He shuffles closer to the edge of the hospital bed and I get up to give them both some space.

"I can't believe you're actually out," Peeta says.

Ryan smiles back.

"You better believe it. And you better get well quick so we can go out and get drunk," Ryan says.

Both men share a grin and then Ryan takes a step towards Peeta so they can share a warm embrace. I smile as I watch them hug each other and slowly edge towards the door. I reach out for the handle and the click alerts Peeta's attention to what I am doing.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

He and Ryan separate and I stand by the door a little awkwardly.

"I thought I would leave you to have some time together. It's been a while," I say.

Ryan stares at me for a long moment and I wonder what he's thinking. For a long time he must have hated me and what Coin and I were trying to do to him. And then I almost got his little brother killed. I wouldn't put myself near the top of his favourite people.

"So you were the neighbour Peeta was so smitten about. You should have heard him the first time he met you. I spent my whole bachelor party listening to how he hadn't believed in love at first sight until he met you," Ryan says.

Peeta blushes and looks down while I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Rye…don't embarrass me," Peeta replies.

Ryan shakes his head.

"You've missed out on six months of embarrassment. I have a lot of making up to do," Ryan replies.

He's smiling but there is something in his eyes that suggests he's putting on this cheeky persona to hide the pain he had while inside. I've meet many people at my work who have just been released from prison and find it jarring to be back in the real world again.

"I never understood why things ended after the first date. But it all makes sense now," Ryan continues. "Though it seems you still kept in touch."

Ryan raises his eyebrow at Peeta, who blushes again and shrugs his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I was prosecuting you," I say.

Ryan shrugs his shoulders.

"It was your job. And you believed me in the end. Haymitch said you really helped after you quit," he says.

"I didn't become a lawyer to put innocent people in jail," I say. "And I wanted Peeta to get his brother back."

Peeta and I share a smile and Ryan looks between us. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and turns to me with a grin.

"Well there is nothing stopping you now," he says.

Peeta nods his head in agreement and I smile back at him.

"And I think after my brother took a bullet for you," Ryan continues, "you owe him a date."

* * *

 **A/N: So we've come to the end of the main story! Thanks to everyone that followed/favoruited/reviewed this story. It was great to see everyone's changing opinions as the story progressed. Hopefully you feel everyone got what they deserved in the end.**

 **There will be an epilogue posted next week and we'll catch up with most of the characters.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Epilogue_

 _6 months later_

Peeta's house bustles with his friends and family as the snowflakes gently fall outside. The large wood burning fire sparkles and crackles, filling the house with warmth. Pieces of Peeta's art work hang on the walls adding colour to an otherwise neutral interior. I wander round the house, smiling and chatting with guests while offering them homemade bruschetta. Peeta catches my eye every so often and throws me a bright smile.

"Oi, Brainless! Where's my welcome?" Johanna shouts.

I turn to the door and see that she has just arrived with Cressida, Gale and Leevy. Their cheeks are all rosy from the cold afternoon air and Leevy lets out a sigh of relief over the warmth of the house. I catch their eyes and smile as I make my way over to them. They are still busy stamping the snow off their boots and unwrapping the layers of clothing on their body when I approach them.

"This house makes me feel like I've under achieved in my life," Gale says. "I can't believe Peeta built all this."

"Well Peeta doesn't spend all his free time playing video games," I reply.

Gale scowls and I grin at him. Johanna finishes unwinding her scarf and spies the mini bruschetta's in my hand. She leans forward and grabs two to pop into her mouth.

"Oh God," she moans. "I think Peeta's food is better than sex."

Cressida raises an eyebrow at her girlfriend but Johanna just smiles wickedly back at her. Cressida rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"Actually, I made these," I reply.

Johanna gives me a look while Gale gives me a knowing smile as he too pops one in his mouth.

"You're becoming very domesticated. What time exactly did you arrive here today to help set up?" Gale asks.

"Peeta couldn't set up the house warming all by himself," I protest.

My friends give me another pointed look and I sigh and look down.

"I got here at 9am," I admit.

They all shakes their heads at me.

"And I bet you didn't spend a minute of that alone time naked and fucking each other's brains out," Johanna says.

I sigh and rest the tray of bruschetta on my hip.

"We're not in that place yet. And Peeta's had a lot on his plate recently. He only just got rid of his crutch last month!" I reply.

"He doesn't need to use his leg to have sex! There's a position called cowgirl, Katniss. Or reverse cowgirl would work just as well," Johanna replies.

"It's not just about the sex," I say.

After Peeta's operation he had a lot of rehab to do on his leg and I spent a long time at the hospital with his family learning all the exercises that would help him. However, Peeta got frustrated that I was acting more like his nurse than anything else. And even though I wanted to take things further with him he told me he wouldn't ask me out until after he fully recovered. He didn't want the start of our relationship to be me acting as his nurse maid.

I was disappointed but did understand his logic. Instead we've built up our friendship and learned to trust each other again. I'm just glad that I can see him without sneaking around but we get a lot of comments from our friends about the currently platonic state of our relationship. Particularly since I've spent a lot of time helping him decorate the house and preparing all the food for today.

My friends don't push me any further on the subject and Peeta spots them so comes over. He greets them all with warm hugs and handshakes and smiles brightly as he stands beside me. His places a warm hand on the small of my back as he looks back out at them.

"So glad you could make it," he says. "I see you've already tried Katniss' bruschetta."

They all nods their heads.

"I can't believe you've got Katniss to cook. The grilled cake was one of her highlights before," Gale replies.

"This is actually the second set of bruschetta that Katniss made. She ate the first lot!" Peeta replies.

"I did not eat them all myself!" I exclaim. "You ate just as many as me!"

I poke Peeta in the stomach and he chuckles.

"We did go on a run together to make up for it," Peeta replies.

"Which I won," I state proudly.

Peeta shakes his head.

"You cheated! You pushed me into that pile of snow!" Peeta replies. "I hope you feel terrible for pushing a cripple over."

"You don't even limp any more. Stop trying to get sympathy points," I say, rolling my eyes.

I then turn back to look at my friends and they all have amused smiles on their faces. I glare at them but Johanna just shakes her head. She then reaches into her bag and pulls out a clay sculpture. My eyes bug when I see it is a sculpture of a naked bust with very erect nipples.

"Happy house warming, Peeta," Johanna says.

She hands him the sculpture and Peeta studies it carefully.

"Cressida and I took a pottery class," Johanna says, settling into her girlfriend's side. "This is what Cress made. It's an exact replica of my breasts."

Peeta nods his head impressed.

"Very smooth lines. What type of clay did you use?" he asks.

"Damn. I forgot you were an artist. I was hoping to freak you out with it," Johanna says with a grin.

Peeta chuckles and I avert my eyes from it. The erect nipples are disturbing me. Johanna spots this and grins smugly.

"Though it's creeped Katniss out so I'll take that," she adds.

I scowl at her and Peeta turns to me with a smile. He puts his arm around my waist and gives me a squeeze.

"It will go perfectly with the plant Katniss gave me," Peeta replies.

We all turn to look at the orange vagina plant that rests on one of Peeta's shelves. He kept it, even after everything that happened, and is proud of himself for keeping it alive.

"Oh my God! That is amazing!" Johanna exclaims.

Johanna moves towards the plant and Peeta and I share a grin before we join her and tell her the story of when we bought it. That almost feels like a different lifetime now.

I go back to handing out the bruschetta and talk to various family members, work colleagues and friends of Peeta. Not all of Peeta's friends came back after Rye was released. To some the Mellarks will always be tainted in some way but as Peeta said he now knows who his true friends are.

* * *

I bump into Rye in the kitchen. He picks at some of the leftover food on the trays and looks up when he sees me. I smile warmly as I go over to join him.

"Good party. You and my brother have put on quite a spread," Rye says.

"Peeta had all the recipes. I just followed his orders," I reply.

Rye gives me a cheeky smile back.

"You two act like such a married couple at times," he says.

"Not you too," I sigh as I lean back against the counter. "I get enough crap about Peeta from my friends."

Rye laughs.

"Mom asked me yesterday if you guys have 'one of those friends with benefits things going on'," Rye says mimicking his mom's voice. "She can't understand why you aren't dating."

"Peeta knows I will say yes if he asks me out," I reply.

Rye smiles back and nods his head.

"I might need to remind him," he says.

I smile again and there is a short silence.

"How's the new job going? Is there still quite a bit of detective work?" Rye asks.

I nod my head. It took me a while to find the right job after I quit the DA office but it was Haymitch that eventually suggested my new post. He has a friend who works for the Innocence Project. It's a project that exonerates wrongly convicted men and women through DNA testing and reforms in the criminal justice system. After I helped get Rye acquitted it become something I was interested in. I met with the head of the project and have been working there the last three months.

"There's a lot of paperwork but I feel like I'm really helping people. People's lives shouldn't be ruined because of mistakes in the justice system," I reply.

Rye nods his head.

"What about you? Is the Capitol still treating you well? Have you finally unpacked all your boxes?" I ask.

Rye moved to the bustling state capitol a couple of months ago. He tried living back in his old house after he was released from prison but the memories of Madge were too much. And even though he was acquitted people would still whisper and point at him when he went out. In Panem he is always going to be known as the man charged with his fiancée's murder. So he made the decision to move out of Panem and got a marketing job in The Capitol. No one knows about Madge there and he likes the anonymity. Peeta misses having his brother so close but The Capitol is just over an hour away from this new house so they can still easily see each other at weekends.

"Still got one box left," Rye says with a grin. "How about Prim? Are she and Thresh fully moved in?"

"I still have boxes of her crap at the apartment but part of me doesn't want her to pick them up. That means I will finally have to admit she's moved out," I reply.

"He'll be proposing next. You better prepare yourself for the madness of wedding planning," Rye says.

I smile and nod my head. Marriage is definitely the direction my sister and her boyfriend are heading and I know my sister is going to want the fairy tale wedding. I'm not looking forward to her frantic demands.

Rye smiles at me but a sadness appears in his eyes and he slumps back against the kitchen counter. I think he's remembering his own wedding planning with Madge. I smile sympathetically at him and put a hand on his arm.

"How are you feeling about Madge? I know her anniversary is next week," I ask.

Rye gives me a weak smile and ducks his head.

"I can't believe it's been a year since I last saw her smile or heard her laugh. A whole year where I haven't had to tell her off for painting her nails on the cream couches," he replies.

I nod my head sadly and rub his arm. Darius pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to thirty years in prison. It was a relief for both the Mellarks and the Undersees to have it all over but it didn't lessen the pain of Madge's death.

"I miss her every day," Rye adds. There is a long pause as he becomes pensive. "But it's time I move on. I need to let her go."

I nod my head.

"It's alright to have part of you that always loves her," I say.

Rye turns to give me a grateful smile.

"Thank you," he says.

We share a smile and are quiet for a long moment. Eventually Rye turns away and tips his head back.

"I suppose I will have to start dating again at some point. I haven't been on a first date in over six years. Have chat up lines changed?" he asks.

I laugh and shake my head.

"For some reason I don't think you'll have a problem. You Mellark men know how to turn on the charm," I reply.

Rye grins at me and picks himself off the counter.

"I think I'll go and send my brother in here so he can work that charm on you. God knows he could do with a good fuck," Rye says cheekily.

I swot Rye on the arm but he just laughs before ducking out the room. I shake my head as I pile some empty trays by the sink. I spend a moment tidying the kitchen but when I turn around I notice that the sun is beginning to set. The orange and red tendrils of sun bleed into the horizon and illuminate the snow-capped mountains. I smile at the warmth it gives me before wrapping my arms around my body to step outside and watch the sun disappear.

The view from the terrace is still my favourite thing about this house. Peeta and I have spent many days sitting on the back deck, looking out as we chatted about everything. I spy the fire pit that I helped Peeta construct a few months back. He was still using his crutch so mainly just sat at the side, shouting instructions as I did all the work. I smile when I remember how he kept checking out my ass when I bent down.

Suddenly an image from my future crashes into my head. It's so strong and clear that I'm a little taken aback by it. It's similar to the image I had the first time Peeta brought me here. Back then I imagined him chasing his children about the lawns and at the time I remember feeling a sense of longing.

The image is slightly different this time. Peeta is still there with his children. A floppy haired blond boy and an elder girl with dark hair in braids. This time it's winter and they all sit huddled around the fire pit eating s'mores and toasted marshmallows. But this time I'm there too. Peeta sits next to me with one of our children on his lap and we all laugh when he gets melted marshmallow on his chin. I can almost feel the kiss Peeta plants on my temple.

An incredibly warm feeling spreads out across my chest and I can't stop the smile that reaches across my cheeks. Back at my first visit I didn't know what the possibilities were for my future. I know what I want now.

The door to the terrace opens again and Peeta pops his head out. I smile when I see him and he comes out carrying a large winter jacket. He comes over to me and puts it round my shoulders.

"You must be freezing," he says, running his hands up and down my arms.

I smile and shrug my shoulders.

"I wanted to watch the sunset," I reply.

Peeta smiles back at me and we turn to watch the last of the sun dip behind the mountains. Peeta keeps his arms around me and I don't dare remove myself from them. I feel content.

After a moment Peeta speaks again.

"You know I was thinking," he begins. "You still owe me a date."

I smile as I feel the final pieces of my life fitting together. I turn to Peeta with a grin.

"I believe I do," I reply.

And then I reach up onto my toes to kiss him.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone that read and supported this story. It was my first attempt at writing a murder mystery and am so glad that many people enjoyed it.**


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